General news

• Prisoners 'used official laptops to mastermind £30m drugs operation'

  14-08-2015 23:40
  
  A criminal gang carried out a £30 million drug-smuggling operation from their cells - using laptops supplied by the Ministry of Justice to help them prepare for legal cases, and which they managed to tamper with, it has been reported.
  
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• Aston Villa vs Manchester United match report: Forgotten man Adnan Januzaj delivers as United grind out another win

  14-08-2015 23:20
  It was business as usual for Manchester United last night. In winning at Villa Park, they did what they usually do on a ground where they have not lost a Premier League match since August 1995. Yet of all the victories they have collected in this corner of Birmingham over the past two decades, few can have felt so underwhelming.
  
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• Airport VAT scam: Five things you need to know about the boarding pass rip-off

  14-08-2015 23:15
  
  Is this about the high-street chains that have been charging us VAT in airport stores but pocketing it?
  
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• Police hold two men after woman's body found in car boot

  14-08-2015 23:12
  
  The body of a woman has been found in a car boot.
  
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• Slumdog's Rahman In London For Independence Day

  14-08-2015 22:44
  
  Double Oscar winner AR Rahman says his decision to play a greatest hits concert in London on Indian Independence Day was due to the shared history between the two countries. Speaking to Sky News, the Bollywood composer, who has won international acclaim, said: "There's a lot of history between India and England. His soundtrack to Danny Boyle's 2009 film Slumdog Millionaire earned him two Oscars, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe Award and two Grammys.
  
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• President Obama has released his summer reading list

  14-08-2015 22:37
  
  President Obama packed a mix of fiction and nonfiction books for his two week vacation with his family in Martha's Vineyard.
  
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• Amy Schumer, profile: 'Trainwreck' star is the stand-up standing up to be counted

  14-08-2015 22:26
  
  After the annual ceremony in April to celebrate Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, one incident had everyone talking. Despite the stuffy gala hosting showbiz heavyweights including Martha Stewart, George Lucas and Diane von Furstenberg, all the chatter was over a blond woman who fell dramatically on the red carpet right in front of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. Was it a PR who had taken an embarrassing tumble? Or a stunt by some blogger? No one seemed sure.
  
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• Ecuador volcano activity: Cotopaxi shoots ash two miles into the air, coating roads, homes and cars with powder

  14-08-2015 22:00
  
  A 2-mile-high (5km) plume of ash has exploded from a volcano near the capital of Ecuador, coating highways, homes and cars with grey powder before sunrise.
  
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• Ecuador volcano activity: Cotopaxi shoots ash 2-miles into the air, coating roads, homes and cars with powder

  14-08-2015 22:00
  
  A 2-mile-high (5km) plume of ash has exploded from a volcano near the capital of Ecudaor, coating highways, homes and cars with grey powder before sunrise.
  
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• Ecuador volcano activity: Cotopaxi shoots ash 2-mile into the air, coating roads, homes and cars with powder

  14-08-2015 22:00
  
  A 2-mile-high (5km) plume of ash has exploded from a volcano near the capital of Ecudaor, coating highways, homes and cars with grey powder before sunrise.
  
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• Michael Gove's MoJ cuts could see more children jailed, warns Youth Justice Board

  14-08-2015 22:00
  
  Levels of teenage crime and numbers of children behind bars could increase because of the Government’s austerity measures, the Youth Justice Board has warned ministers.
  
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• Andrew Lawrence, Edinburgh Fringe review: Is there a gap in the market for the festival's only right-wing comic?

  14-08-2015 21:45
  “Being successful in comedy is not about being funny any more. It’s about having the right colour skin, the right set of genitals, the right regional accent.” There are numerous variations on this theme in Andrew Lawrence’s new stand-up show, Uncensored.
  
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• Labour leadership: Gordon Brown to break silence on contest in bid to halt Jeremy Corbyn

  14-08-2015 21:36
  
  Gordon Brown will break his silence during the Labour leadership election on Sunday as he adds his weight to efforts to halt the Jeremy Corbyn bandwagon.
  
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• War with Isis: US investigating chemical weapons attacks against Kurds in Iraq

  14-08-2015 21:29
  
  The claimed use of chemical weapons against Kurdish forces in Iraq has triggered an investigation in the US and marked a dangerous escalation in the war against Isis.
  
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• The real Profumo scandal: Book claims Russian spy 'photographed top secret documents'

  14-08-2015 21:23
  
  The Profumo Affair – one of Cold War Britain’s most famous political scandals – was a much greater threat to the UK’s security interests than previously understood, The Independent can reveal.
  
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• Two Arrests After Body Found In Car Boot

  14-08-2015 21:15
  
  Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman's body was found in a car boot.
  
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• Family: Islamic State leader raped American hostage - Washington Post

  14-08-2015 21:14 via washingtonpost.com
  ABC News
  Family: Islamic State leader raped American hostage
  Washington Post
  WASHINGTON — The parents of the late American hostage Kayla Mueller say they were told by American officials that their daughter was repeatedly forced to have sex with Abu Bakr Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group. A U.S. official confirms ...
  'ISIS leader al-Baghdadi repeatedly raped US hostage Mueller before her death'Jerusalem Post Israel News
  ISIS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Sexually Abused Ame
  
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• 'Bruce Lee' El Nino: Pacific coast braces for potential recordbreaking winter storms

  14-08-2015 21:14
  
  Conditions are now ripe in the Pacific Ocean for the onset of a record-breaking El Niño this winter which could dangerously disrupt weather patterns around the globe – but with the possible benefit of delivering rain to drought-gripped California.
  
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• Athletes hit out over Team GB's 'no flag' kit

  14-08-2015 21:12
  
  Olympic champion long-jumper Greg Rutherford has made an impassioned protest about the lack of a Union flag on the Great Britain team's kits for the World Championships.
  
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• Prison laptop scandal: How the computers were hacked

  14-08-2015 21:01
  
  The welcome screen on the prison laptop was simple to navigate. Prison officials clicked on the dog icon, inmates clicked on the cat. Clicking on the dog – and entering the password – allowed access to a section with administrator privileges and access to the internet. The cat was a gateway to little more than a basic word processor.
  
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• Yvette Cooper urges 'radical' Labour austerity alternative - BBC News

  14-08-2015 20:59 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC News
  Yvette Cooper urges 'radical' Labour austerity alternative
  BBC News
  Labour must be "radical" in providing an alternative to austerity, leadership candidate Yvette Cooper has said. She also urged members "not to give up on your principles" in choosing Ed Miliband's successor. Ms Cooper, Andy Burnham, Liz Kendall or ...
  Andy Burnham: Labour's base has crumbled - we can't take anything for granted nowTelegraph.co.uk
  The Jeremy Corbyn effect reflects
  
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• Prison laptop scandal: Too many prisoners, not enough security – a history of Wandsworth

  14-08-2015 20:56
  
  The hacking of prisoner laptops is just the latest scandal to hit Wandsworth prison.
  
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• Sir Tom Jones had 'no idea' about leaving The Voice - BBC News

  14-08-2015 20:48 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC News
  Sir Tom Jones had 'no idea' about leaving The Voice
  BBC News
  Sir Tom Jones has said he had "no idea" or "no warning" that he would be leaving The Voice. In a post on his official Facebook account, he wrote that he was only told that he wouldn't be returning to the coaching panel the day before the new line-up ...
  The Voice: Sir Tom Jones hits out at 'sub-standard' BBC after axeTelegraph.co.uk
  Tom Jones heads for green, green grass of home after l
  
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• Gang orchestrated £30m drug deal from jail using hacked laptops supplied by the taxpayer

  14-08-2015 20:47
  
  A major security flaw at the heart of the prison system can be exposed today after a criminal gang conducted a £30m drug-smuggling operation from their cells – using hacked laptops supplied by the Ministry of Justice.
  
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• US embassy in Cuba formally reopens: 'A day for pushing aside old barriers' - The Guardian

  14-08-2015 20:38 via theguardian.com
  The Guardian
  US embassy in Cuba formally reopens: 'A day for pushing aside old barriers'
  The Guardian
  The US and Cuba 'no longer prisoners of history', says John Kerry. Link to video · Tom McCarthy in New York. @TeeMcSee. Friday 14 August 2015 10.54 EDT Last modified on Friday 14 August 2015 14.59 EDT. Share on Facebook · Share on Twitter · Share ...
  John Kerry says Cuba and America 'no longer enemies or rivals, but neighbours'Telegraph.co.uk
  Ke
  
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• Sir Tom Jones slams executives after losing role on BBC's The Voice

  14-08-2015 20:33
  
  Sir Tom Jones has accused the BBC of "sub-standard behaviour" over his axing from The Voice.
  
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• Device explodes in van at Northern Ireland army barracks

  14-08-2015 20:29
  
  A small device has exploded inside a postal van near the headquarters of MI5 in Northern Ireland.
  
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• Clearing 2015: First hours produce 27% rise in students sealing university places

  14-08-2015 20:27
  
  Record numbers of students secured university places through the first few hours of clearing as candidates rushed for places before student loans are scrapped, official figures have shown.
  
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• Spanish firefighter fired after filling swimming pool with water from fire engine

  14-08-2015 20:26
  
  A firefighter in southern Spain has been dismissed after using a fire engine to fill up his private swimming pool.
  
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• Voters 'More Likely' To Choose Corbyn-Led Labour

  14-08-2015 20:24
  
  Voters would be more likely to back Labour in a general election under Jeremy Corbyn than any of his rivals, a survey suggests. The findings cast doubt on claims he would bring Labour "annihilation" at the polls. Mr Corbyn - the hot favourite to win the leadership contest - has been heavily criticised by senior Labour figures, including former PM Tony Blair.
  
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• Here's what Obama listens to on Spotify - USA TODAY

  14-08-2015 20:21 via usatoday.com
  
  USA TODAY
  Here's what Obama listens to on Spotify
  USA TODAY
  Curious what music the President of the United States is grooving to this summer? Thanks to the White House's official new Spotify channel, we know that Obama is bumping sunshiney favorites from the Temptations , Bob Marley and Justin Timberlake during ...
  President Obama made a summer 2015 music playlist. So, I made one too.Washington Post
  Barack Obama releases a Spotify #POTUSPlaylistCNN
  White House launches Spotify page
  
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• Mark Regev: The one-man Israeli defence force who is set to become ambassador to Britain

  14-08-2015 20:17
  
  “Usually when you see me, it’s bad news,” Mark Regev once admitted wryly during one of his frequent appearances in the international media.
  
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• Big game hunting: After Cecil the lion, meet the anti-poaching team protecting endangered black rhinos

  14-08-2015 20:15
  
  Mike Toft is an excellent marksman. Leaning out of a tiny white chopper as it hovers perilously close to the tree tops in the South African bush, he has his sights on the behind of a black rhino, one of the most critically endangered animals in the world.
  
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• Iliad live: Homer's epic brought to life in marathon reading at the British Museum

  14-08-2015 20:09
  
  Ancient Greece has been brought to life at the British Museum thanks to a marathon reading of one the Iliad by some of Britain’s most acclaimed actors.
  
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• Army Base Van Explosion Was 'Attempt To Kill'

  14-08-2015 19:59
  
  A small device has exploded in a postal van at an army barracks near Belfast in a "reckless" attack slammed by Unionists as attempted murder. The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed there had been an explosion at the back of the vehicle in the Palace Barracks in Holywood. The postal worker who had been driving the van was not inside when the blast took place.
  
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• Man dresses up in full bear costume to harass bear and her two cubs

  14-08-2015 19:59
  
  Authorities in Alaska have said they want to talk to a man who was spotted wearing a full bear costume and harassing three real bears while they hunted for pink salmon in a river.
  
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• VJ Day 70th anniversary: War planes to fly over London as part of national commemoration

  14-08-2015 19:57
  
  Second World War planes will fly over central London on Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of VJ Day, with commemoration events across the country.
  
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• Queen Nefertiti: If the tomb of Tutankhamun's mother has been found, what other ancient mysteries are there to discover?

  14-08-2015 19:51
  It’s enough to inspire archaeologists and treasure hunters the world over. If there really is a tomb hidden behind the wall of Tutankhamun’s burial chamber, containing the last resting place of Queen Nefertiti, what other ancient wonders are still out there waiting to be discovered?
  
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• Palace Barracks: Van explosion a 'possible firebomb' - BBC News

  14-08-2015 19:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC News
  Palace Barracks: Van explosion a 'possible firebomb'
  BBC News
  An explosion at an army base in Northern Ireland may have been caused by a firebomb, the BBC has been told. Police have confirmed that a device exploded inside a Royal Mail van at Palace Barracks in Holywood, County Down, before 10:30 BST on Friday ...
  Army Base Van Explosion Was 'Attempt To Kill'Sky News
  Device explodes in postal van at Palace Barracks near BelfastBelfast Telegraph
  Device explodes in po
  
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• Germany and migrants: The Germans who are welcoming victims of oppression despite opposition of a vocal minority

  14-08-2015 19:45
  
  The burning newspapers placed outside the home of five asylum-seekers in Brandenburg an der Havel, a small town near Berlin, prompted a swift response. It was a “cowardly act of arson” said Germany’s Foreign Minister.
  
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• Osama bin Laden's son Hamza 'calls for attacks on the West' - Telegraph.co.uk

  14-08-2015 19:45 via telegraph.co.uk
  
  Telegraph.co.uk
  Osama bin Laden's son Hamza 'calls for attacks on the West'
  Telegraph.co.uk
  Al-Qaeda has released a message, purportedly from Osama bin Laden's son Hamza, calling for attacks on London and other western cities. The audio recording was shared by Jihadists on Twitter, and is the first such message from Hamza bin Laden, who is ...
  Bin Laden: Osama's son Hamza 'issues al-Qaeda message'BBC News
  Osama Bin Laden's son releases taped message calling
  
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• Device explodes in postal van at Palace Barracks near Belfast

  14-08-2015 19:45
  
  A small device has exploded inside a postal van at an army base in Northern Ireland, police said.
  
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• Royals Appeal to Paparazzi to Lay Off Prince George - Wall Street Journal

  14-08-2015 19:43 via wsj.com
  
  Wall Street Journal
  Royals Appeal to Paparazzi to Lay Off Prince George
  Wall Street Journal
  LONDON—Britain's royal family is asking the media not to publish paparazzi photographs of Prince George following the overseas publication of pictures showing the 2-year-old son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In an open letter Friday from ...
  Kensington Palace warns press over unauthorized Prince George pictures ...Washington Post
  Royals seek Prince George paparazzi photo ban after chil
  
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• Army Base Blast Caused By Explosive Device

  14-08-2015 19:43
  
  A small device has exploded in a postal van at an army barracks near Belfast.
  
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• Cilla Black funeral: 'Plot to burgle entertainer’s home during ceremony' foiled

  14-08-2015 19:42
  
  The discovery of a hole in a fence at the Buckinghamshire home of Cilla Black has helped to foil an alleged plot to burgle the property during her funeral, according to her publicist.
  
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• Royals criticise 'dangerous' attempts to photograph young Prince George

  14-08-2015 19:40
  
  The British royal family criticized paparazzi on Friday for what it called their increasingly dangerous attempts to photograph the Queen's two year-old great-grandson Prince George. Photographers have followed George and his nanny around London parks, have pursued cars leaving royal homes, and police found one hidden in a blacked-out car outside a children's play area visited by the prince, a statement said. "In recent months, there have been an increasing number of incidents of p
  
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• Kayla Mueller: US hostage 'refused chance to escape from Isis to save Yazidi girls'

  14-08-2015 19:34
  
  An American woman who died while being held hostage by Isis sacrificed her chance to escape her captors to save two Yazidi girls, it has been claimed.
  
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• Airport VAT: How I unearthed the great boarding pass scam – and led the charge to end it

  14-08-2015 19:31
  It is a scene repeated thousands of times a day at airports up and down the country.
  
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• Fugitive Briton arrested on train in Portugal

  14-08-2015 19:25
  
  A British fugitive wanted on suspicion of attempted rape has been arrested in Portugal after being stopped on a train.
  
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• 'Bomb' Explodes In Postal Van At Army Base

  14-08-2015 19:21
  
  A small 'bomb' has exploded in a postal van at an army barracks near Belfast.
  
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