General news

• TFI Friday – it's your live blog, it's your live blog, as it happened

  12-06-2015 23:54
  
  Chris Evans returned for a one-off special with guests including Jeremy Clarkson, Blur and Liam GallagherTFI: a nod to 90s nostalgiaWhat happened to Friday night TV? 10.54pm BST Lessons learned? Never have Lewis Hamilton on your television programme as the main guest. Never pretend that the 1990s were better than they were. And never go back. Never, ever go back.Anyway, thanks for joining me. If you want to follow me on Twitter, I’m @StuHeritage. If you don’t, I’ll try not to lose any slee
  
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• Rebecca Minnock hands herself in 17 days after going into hiding with her son

  12-06-2015 23:51
  
  Minnock breaks cover hours after her mother and a close friend were jailed for lying about a plot to generate publicity for her custody battleRebecca Minnock has come out of hiding 17 days after she vanished with her three-year-old son Ethan during a bitter custody battle. Hours after a close family friend claimed he and Minnock had hatched the plan for her to vanish in order to generate publicity for her legal fight, she made contact with police.Continue reading...
  
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• Devastation in Yemen: historic district of Sana'a before and after – in pictures

  12-06-2015 23:51
  
  A Saudi-led air strike killed at least six civilians and destroyed historic houses in the old quarter of Sana’a, two days ahead of UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva. The air raid was the first in the Unesco world heritage site in Yemen’s rebel-held capital since the coalition started its air campaign in March against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels Continue reading...
  
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• Sir Henry Angest: Banker who gave Tories millions is knighted in reward for 'political service'

  12-06-2015 23:48
  
  A millionaire ex-Tory party treasurer with links to a high-interest loans company has been knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, as others who donated to the Conservatives during the election are also recognised.
  
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• Van Morrison honoured by knighthood

  12-06-2015 23:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Belfast-born singer Van Morrison is granted a knighthood, one of 85 people from Northern Ireland recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
  
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• Barren Knights: Why comedians rarely receive honours

  12-06-2015 23:40 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Why comedians rarely become sirs
  
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• Rugby's Sir Gareth, England cricketer Anderson gets OBE

  12-06-2015 23:39
  
  Former Wales scrumhalf Gareth Edwards was knighted and English cricket's leading test wicket-taker James Anderson was given the OBE in the Queen's summer honours list announced on Friday. Edwards, 67, won 53 caps for Wales from 1967-1978, 13 as captain, and played 10 times for the British & Irish Lions on their victorious tours of New Zealand in 1971 and South Africa in 1974. A Rugby World magazine poll in 2003 named him as the greatest player of all time.
  
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• Arise Sir Van! Morrison Gains A Knighthood

  12-06-2015 23:38
  
  The Queen's Birthday Honours List has been announced, with Belfast-born writer and singer Van Morrison receiving a knighthood. Actor and comedian Lenny Henry also gets a knighthood, while Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is awarded a CBE - news of both those awards leaked out before the official announcement. Dudley-born Henry - real name Lenworth Henry - was given the honour for his charity efforts after working on Comic Relief for many years.
  
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• Van Morrison: here comes the knight

  12-06-2015 23:35
  
  Critically-acclaimed singer and songwriter Van Morrison, notorious for sheltering from the spotlight, has been given a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
  
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• UK ticket bags £93m jackpot prize

  12-06-2015 23:35
  
  A single ticket bought in the UK has scooped the £93,388,943 EuroMillions jackpot, Camelot said tonight.
  
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• Ethan and mother safe and well

  12-06-2015 23:35
  
  A mother and her three-year-old son have been found safe and well after going missing more than two weeks ago, police said.
  
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• UK Ticket Wins £93.3m EuroMillions Jackpot

  12-06-2015 23:34
  
  A single UK ticket has won the £93.3m jackpot in tonight's EuroMillions draw, Camelot has confirmed.
  
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• Queen's Birthday Honours: Van Morrison and Paddington creator top the arts list

  12-06-2015 23:33
  
  Van Morrison, the reclusive singer-songwriter, has received a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List – one of a number of arts and entertainment stars to be honoured.
  
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• Knighthood 'surprise' for professor

  12-06-2015 23:31
  
  A pioneering professor can now add a knighthood to his long list of accolades after being recognised for his services to medicine.
  
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• Diabetes researcher made a dame

  12-06-2015 23:31
  
  A leading scientist known for her ground breaking research into type 2 diabetes has spoken of her delight at being made a dame and also of the difficulty at preventing the prevalence of the disease.
  
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• VIDEO: Doctor Who writer 'astonished' at honour

  12-06-2015 23:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Sherlock and Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat is set to receive an OBE in the Queen's birthday honours.
  
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• Knighthood 'for whole university'

  12-06-2015 23:30
  
  Dundee University principal Professor Pete Downes has said he feels his knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours list is an award for the whole institution.
  
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• Stories of sexism in science: 'sorry about all the women in this laboratory'

  12-06-2015 23:30
  
  Tim Hunt provoked outrage when he said that female scientists cause trouble in science labs. We speak to women in the field to find out about attitudes they’ve encountered
  #Distractinglysexy Twitter campaign mocks Tim Hunt’s sexist comments
  “Following the recent comments made by Tim Hunt, I spent a little time reminiscing about my experiences as a postdoctoral researcher at a London University. I started this position full of enthusiasm but it ended quite swiftly following comments from my
  
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• Sports stars get Birthday Honours

  12-06-2015 23:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Gareth Edwards, James Anderson, Frank Lampard, Jo Pavey and Carl Froch are recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
  
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• VIDEO: Lenny Henry: 'The phone was on fire'

  12-06-2015 23:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Comedian and actor Lenny Henry is set to become Sir Lenny after confirming he will receive a knighthood in the Queen's birthday honours.
  
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• Queen's birthday honours list: knights outnumber dames five to one

  12-06-2015 23:30
  
  Even though 51% of all recipients in the 2015 edition are women, just seven are made dames, compared with 33 men given knighthoods
  Men outnumber women by almost five to one in the highest honours announced for the Queen’s birthday, which sees knighthoods for comedian Lenny Henry, trade unionist Paul Kenny and singer-songwriter Van “the Man” Morrison. For only the second time in honours history, more women received awards – 51% of all recipients – but just seven are made dames, compared
  
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• Evans goes back to the 90s with TFI

  12-06-2015 23:29
  
  Chris Evans turned the clock back to the height of Britpop tonight with a nostalgic edition of his cult TV show TFI Friday.
  
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• VIDEO: Business at the side of the road

  12-06-2015 23:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC News spent an afternoon in a lay-by off the A10 in Cambridgeshire, to get a snapshot of business life on the side of the road.
  
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• Second hack of federal records hit intelligence and military personnel

  12-06-2015 23:15
  
  OPM hackers linked to China accessed sensitive background informationNews follows revelation records of 14 million federal employees compromisedAs many as 14 million current and former civilian US government employees had their personal information exposed to hackers, according to two people who were briefed on the investigation, representing a far higher figure than the 4 million the Obama administration initially disclosed – and coming amid an apparent second cyber breach that officials said
  
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• Belo back in Big Brother house

  12-06-2015 23:13
  
  Former Big Brother winner Brian Belo has vowed to bring "carnage" to the house after dramatically rejoining the show this evening.
  
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• Custody row mother Rebecca Minnock hands herself in after fleeing with son

  12-06-2015 23:11
  
  Woman who fled with her son Ethan gives herself in on day that mother and friend jailed for helping her go on the runA woman who went on the run with her three-year-old son after a court ruled he should live with his father has handed herself into police, it has been reported.Rebecca Minnock, 35, surrendered after 17 days in hiding with her son Ethan, the Daily Mail said. According to the newspaper, she said: “I feel that my time has run out now.”Continue reading...
  
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• Foul is fair for Macbeth director

  12-06-2015 23:10
  
  Australian director Justin Kurzel said shooting Macbeth in the Scottish Highlands in winter was both "horrendous" and inspiring.
  
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• Creagh quits Labour leader contest

  12-06-2015 23:10
  
  Mary Creagh has quit the Labour leadership race - and urged the eventual winner to pursue a more pro-business approach than Ed Miliband.
  
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• Missing mother and toddler: Rebecca Minnock hands herself in to police and admits 'my time has run out'

  12-06-2015 23:06
  
  A mother who went on the run with her three-year-old son after a court ruled he should live with his father has handed herself into police, it has been reported.
  
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• Missing Boy: Fugitive Mum Hands Herself In

  12-06-2015 23:03
  
  Rebecca Minnock was voluntarily met by police at a hotel after giving an interview to a newspaper. She vanished with Ethan Williams on the day she was due to hand him over to his father, Roger Williams, after losing a custody battle. On Friday, her mother Louise was  jailed for 10 days for lying about the pair's disappearance while the elder woman's partner Andrew Butt got 28 days for telling police a "pack of lies".
  
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• Race v ethnicity: the curious case of Rachel Dolezal, explained (sort of)

  12-06-2015 23:02
  
  The questions at the core of the debate that has consumed the internet are complex – even though her identification as black seems self-evidently wrong“Are you African American?” There should be just two possible answers: yes or no. Yet for Rachel Dolezal, the civil rights leader in Washington state whose identity politics gave birth to approximately 40,000 think pieces on Friday, life is apparently not that simple. Related: Civil rights activist Rachel Dolezal misrepresented herself as bl
  
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• Ethan mother 'surrenders to police'

  12-06-2015 23:00
  
  A mother who went on the run with her three-year-old son after a court ruled he should live with his father has handed herself into police, it has been reported.
  
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• New Zealand 398-5; England 365-9 | Royal London One-Day Series international

  12-06-2015 22:56
  
  • New Zealand 398-5; England 365-9
  • New Zealand win by 13 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis methodThis new-look England side are no longer prepared to die wondering in 50-over cricket. In the second one-day international against New Zealand at The Oval Eoin Morgan’s side produced a thrilling run chase, only to fall cruelly 13 runs short of a rain-adjusted target of 379 from 46 overs.Faced with an imposing 399 to win after Ross Taylor’s unbeaten 119, the hosts came out blazing in the reply,
  
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• Mary Creagh pulls out of Labour race

  12-06-2015 22:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Shadow international development secretary Mary Creagh announces that she has withdrawn from the Labour leadership contest.
  
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• Einstein a go go in letters auction

  12-06-2015 22:04
  
  A letter Albert Einstein wrote to one of his sons in 1945 explaining the connection between his theory of relativity and the atomic bombs that had just been dropped on Japan has sold at auction for 62,500 US dollars (£40,000).
  
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• Syrian civil war: Can Assad's regime survive the onslaught from Isis and Jabhat al-Nusra?

  12-06-2015 21:50
  
  It’s a dangerous equation in the Syrian war that the further you are from Damascus, the more Bashar al-Assad’s regime seems doomed. And the more you drive around the vast area still held by government forces – and I’ve just completed around 1,100 miles of mountains, desert and battle fronts – the more you realise that the war will go on. And on. And that the Syrian army, outgunned and at times frighteningly outnumbered by its Islamist enemies, is not about to collapse.
  
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• Bonnaroo Music Festival: Watch Billy Joel, Run The Jewels, Mumford & Sons and more perform live

  12-06-2015 21:26
  
  Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is offering a free stream of performances throughout the weekend.
  
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• British holidaymaker finds giant toxic centipede in dirty laundry

  12-06-2015 21:21
  
  A British holidaymaker had a shock when she unpacked her holiday bags and found an unwelcome stowaway - a venomous Peruvian giant centipede. The 11cm-long arthropod, who has been named Curtley, snuck inside Jennie Esler's dirty laundry as she packed her bags to return home from a holiday in Antigua on Saturday (6 June).
  
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• Cleveland police finalize agreement to address widespread racial bias and excessive use of force

  12-06-2015 21:18
  
  Cleveland police now must address complaints of widespread racial bias and excessive use of force after a federal judge signed off an agreement between the city and the US Justice Department.
  
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• How an attempted murder accusation left two major names in classical music in tatters

  12-06-2015 21:17
  
  An extraordinary row has erupted between one of Europe’s most respected string quartets and London’s premier chamber music venue over the cancellation of a forthcoming concert. It has left the relationship between two major names in classical music in tatters.
  
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• Mary Creagh Quits Labour Leadership Race

  12-06-2015 21:11
  
  Mary Creagh has withdrawn from the race to become the next Labour leader, succeeding Ed Miliband.
  
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• Andy Burnham: How the defender of the NHS cosied up to Big Pharma

  12-06-2015 21:11
  
  Front-runner in the Labour leadership contest and former Health Secretary Andy Burnham has hired lobbyists with connections to major pharmaceutical companies and private healthcare providers to work on his campaign.
  
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• Our GCSE students don't understand lust and desire, say Orthodox schools

  12-06-2015 21:07
  
  Love may have been described as a universal language, but some Jewish Orthodox schools believe it’s one their GCSE students do not speak.
  
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• Will London embrace the ‘mobile love nest’ electric cars?

  12-06-2015 20:58
  
  Forget illicit trysts on Hampstead Heath or an amorous evening at a boutique hotel. According to the French firm charged with bringing electric motoring to the capital, frisky young Londoners could soon be seeking intimacy in tiny battery-powered city cars.
  
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• Who is the 'Bromley Batman'? Rumours of South London's very own superhero are sparked by eyewitness accounts

  12-06-2015 20:46
  
  A mystery vigilante, nicknamed the “Bromley Batman”, has been seen in action by several witnesses cleaning up the streets of South London from knife-wielding gangs and muggers.
  
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• Credit warning over EU referendum

  12-06-2015 20:46
  
  A credit ratings agency has warned the UK's top-ranked AAA status has been put at risk because of the decision to hold an in/out referendum on European Union membership.
  
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• Ian McKellen: When we weren't facing off on-set, Christopher Lee was a true gentleman and touchingly nervous

  12-06-2015 20:09
  
  When I arrived in New Zealand to start filming as Gandalf, in the first week of the 21st Century, Peter Jackson held a dinner for some of the cast. I was happily next to Christopher Lee who I had known of  throughout my actor-admiring life. He'd been cast as the white wizard Saruman but his opening line to me was: “I've always thought I should play Gandalf. I read Lord of the Rings every year – sometimes twice.”
  
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• YouTube launches video games app

  12-06-2015 20:03
  
  YouTube is launching a new app and website focused on video games, which will package trailers, live streams and other content into single pages for thousands of games.
  
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• Tony Blair in Africa: How the former prime minister went to war against Ebola, and won the adoration of Sierra Leone

  12-06-2015 20:00
  The crowd is four deep, and as the cavalcade pulls into Sierra Leone's Connaught Hospital, a hush descends on the assembled doctors and nurses. The passenger door opens and at the first glimpse of the emerging figure there is an eruption of cheers.
  
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• Manuela Carmena: New anti-austerity Mayor marks end of Madrid's old guard

  12-06-2015 19:45
  
  More than two decades of uninterrupted rule for the right-wing Partido Popular (PP) party in Madrid will come to an end today when Manuela Carmena, the candidate for the Ahora Madrid platform that includes anti-austerity party Podemos, is sworn in as the capital’s next mayor.
  
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