General news

• Prince Harry names Sentebale buildings in Lesotho after Diana and nanny

  25-11-2015 22:58
  
  Prince Harry has named two buildings at the heart of his charity's new landmark centre in Africa after the women closest to him - his mother Diana, Princess of Wales and his beloved nanny.
  
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• 'Next-to-no appetite for radical change at the BBC': Rona Fairhead

  25-11-2015 22:58
  
  There is "next-to-no public appetite" for radical change at the BBC, the chairman of the broadcaster's governing body has said.
  
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• Cult escape 'inspired by Harry Potter'

  25-11-2015 22:23 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A woman allegedly held captive for 30 years in a south London commune was inspired to escape by the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter books, a court hears.
  
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• VIDEO: Meet 'Britain's best bus driver'

  25-11-2015 22:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  There are nearly 100,000 bus drivers in England, but this year for the very first time the title of "top driver" goes to a woman.
  
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• Hunt Agrees To Acas Talks With Junior Doctors

  25-11-2015 22:03
  
  The Government will enter talks with Acas on Thursday after the Health Secretary backtracked in a bid to stop thousands of doctors striking. Jeremy Hunt had said he would not go to the conciliation service over changes to junior doctors' contracts unless the British Medical Association returned for bilateral talks first. But in a letter to the BMA, Mr Hunt conceded that "any talks are better than strikes" that posed a "serious threat" to patient safety.
  
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• Police budgets protected by chancellor

  25-11-2015 21:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Police funding for England and Wales will be protected, Chancellor George Osborne says, after fears that forces were to face significant cuts.
  
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• Aldi Christmas advert sends up 'man on the moon' from John Lewis

  25-11-2015 21:20
  
  Aldi has re-entered the war of the Christmas ads with a cheeky take on the John Lewis Man on the Moon tearjerker.
  
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• BBC Radio reveals eclectic Christmas line-up

  25-11-2015 21:00
  
  BBC Radio has unveiled its eclectic Christmas line-up, with personalities from Jeremy Irons and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa to The Chemical Brothers and astronaut Chris Hadfield joining the festivities.
  
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• 'Lord Libor' broker tells London trial he was always honest

  25-11-2015 20:59
  
  By Kirstin Ridley LONDON (Reuters) - A former ICAP broker charged with conspiracy to manipulate benchmark yen interest rates told a London criminal court on Wednesday that 1,000 rate predictions he had sent out over four years had only ever reflected his honest opinion. Colin Goodman, 53, said he spent 20 percent of his time as a middleman to banks trading yen and compiled a daily email before 7 am in London for his bank clients in which he predicted where he saw yen Libor rates set at around 11
  
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• Government set for Acas talks over strike threat by junior doctors

  25-11-2015 20:55
  
  Talks between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government will begin tomorrow after the Health Secretary U-turned to ward off strike action by thousands of doctors.
  
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• Georgia Murder: Mum Blames Police For 'Bad Job'

  25-11-2015 20:05
  
  The mother of a teenage girl murdered by a man who had been known to police years before he went on to kill has told Sky News there has been "no justice" over her death. Lynette Williams made the comments as the officers accused of bungling an investigation into Georgia Williams' killer were told they could keep their jobs. Jamie Reynolds is serving a whole-life sentence after luring Georgia into his home in Wellington, Shropshire, in 2013, supposedly for a photoshoot.
  
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• VIDEO: Spending Review - in 60 seconds

  25-11-2015 20:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Chancellor George Osborne does a U-turn on cuts to tax credits and vows to protect police funding in his Spending Review.
  
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• 'Double-whammy' of chemo and immunotherapy could knock out deadly breast cancer

  25-11-2015 20:00
  
  Pairing chemo and immunotherapy can deliver a double-whammy punch that knocks out deadly drug-resistant breast cancer, new research has shown.
  
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• 'Not one iota' of pressure put on helicopter pilot, says restaurant tycoon

  25-11-2015 19:52
  
  A restaurant tycoon told an inquest he did not put "one iota" of pressure on a helicopter pilot to divert a flight in bad weather and pick him up so he could go to a shoot with the Queen's cousin.
  
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• Buster, bust-ups & Boycott of tennis

  25-11-2015 19:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  With rowing team-mates and protesting fans, Great Britain's run to the 1978 Davis Cup final was far from dull.
  
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• Fire crews rescue cow from roof-top patio

  25-11-2015 18:58
  
  A cow that fell 20ft down a hill had to be rescued by firefighters after it ended up stuck on homeowner's a roof-top patio.
  
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• Cash Boost For Olympic Pros In Spending Review

  25-11-2015 18:47
  
  Olympic athletes will benefit from an increase in funding ahead of the 2016 and 2020 Games after the Chancellor announced a 29% increase in funding for UK Sport as part of the Spending Review. There had been fears of cuts to elite and grassroots sport from the review – but while the Department of Culture, Media and Sport will see a 5% cut, sport will benefit from increases. UK Sport spends about £120m a year on supporting elite athletes, with about £45m coming from the Treasury
  
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• UK Imam: Extremists Have 'Hijacked' Islam

  25-11-2015 18:36
  
  Ordinary British Muslims have also been at pains to emphasise the huge chasm between the true Islam, which teaches peace and tolerance, and the barbaric actions of those who have hijacked the faith to further their own geo-political aims. Various issues have been raised by those seeking to argue that Islamic values are incompatible with British values. One issue which is repeatedly raised is that British Muslims have failed, or are failing, to fully integrate into British life.
  
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• The lucky chancellor

  25-11-2015 18:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  George Osborne is neither the slasher, nor the saver, but a politician who has found good fortune and surprisingly so.
  
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• Chancellor George Osborne ditches tax credit cuts and protects police

  25-11-2015 18:32
  
  George Osborne has moved to neutralise two of the Government's biggest political headaches by ditching plans to slash tax credits and promising to protect police budgets from cuts.
  
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• Speed is of the essence for pigeon leaders

  25-11-2015 18:27
  
  Speed is what makes great pigeon leaders, a study has shown.
  
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• 'No real investigation' into 13-month-old Poppi Worthington's death

  25-11-2015 18:17
  
  A police force said it had "learned lessons" after a High Court judge found it conducted no "real" investigation into the unexpected death of a 13-month-old girl for nine months.
  
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• Osborne uses tax forecast to soften spending cuts

  25-11-2015 18:09
  
  By William Schomberg and David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) - Chancellor George Osborne took advantage of stronger forecasts for tax revenues to drop an unpopular plan to scrap some benefits for low-earners and ease other deep cuts, but he stuck to a target for budget surplus in 2020. In one of several surprise budget moves, Osborne spared Britain's police from the spending reductions that will hit other government departments, a nod to concern about security after the attacks in Paris earlier this
  
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• Mobile Network Plans To Block Adverts On Devices

  25-11-2015 17:47
  
  A British mobile phone network is testing technology which could block many mobile adverts on devices connected to its network. O2 is "actively testing" the technology that would sniff out and block adverts at a network level before they were served to the device, according to a report by Business Insider. O2 is owned by Spanish firm Telefonica, and is currently being acquired by rival Three to create a huge network to compete with the likes of EE.
  
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• Junior doctor dispute to go to Acas

  25-11-2015 17:38 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The government has agreed to talks at Acas in the junior doctors' dispute - but the strikes have not been called off.
  
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• FCA seeks data on charges for cashing in pension pots

  25-11-2015 17:23
  
  Britain's financial regulator said on Wednesday it has asked pension companies to spell out how much they charge people to cash in their pension pots. "This data collection exercise will help us establish whether there is a significant variation between firms for similar products and services, and the extent to which the charges that consumers face may be complex and difficult to understand," the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said in a statement. "We will also analyse whether higher charges
  
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• Mao's Little Red Book makes surprise appearance in parliament chamber

  25-11-2015 17:17
  
  Chairman Mao's "Little Red Book" made a surprise appearance in Britain's parliament on Wednesday when the Labour Party finance spokesman brandished a copy as he mocked the government's reliance on Chinese investment. A debate on Britain's economy and the Conservative government's plan for the next five years broke down into howls of laughter when John McDonnell, Labour's finance spokesman, read out some "advice" from the book, a pocket-sized collection of Mao Zedong's quotations first published
  
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• Humanists welcome ruling over new religious studies GCSE

  25-11-2015 17:16
  
  Humanists have welcomed a High Court ruling that the Education Secretary made "an error of law" when she left "non-religious world views" out of the new religious studies GCSE.
  
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• December deal for British EU reform difficult- senior EU official

  25-11-2015 16:55
  
  By Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin DUBLIN (Reuters) - It will be hard for officials renegotiating Britain's EU membership to meet a goal of having a framework ready for discussion at a regional summit next month, a senior EU official involved in the talks said on Wednesday. Prime Minister David Cameron is trying to win concessions from other leaders ahead of a referendum on British membership promised by the end of 2017. With opinion polls showing Britain sharply divided over whether to stay
  
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• UK plans tax rise on buy-to-let and second homes

  25-11-2015 16:54
  
  By Costas Pitas LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is to increase a tax on buy-to-let and second homes to ease demand for those squeezed out by house price rises but early reactions from some analysts warned that many undeterred investors will instead pass the cost on in higher rents. Double-digit price rises in London last year and at the start of 2015 have led to criticism that individuals who snap up properties to rent them out have stopped would-be first-time buyers from getting a foot on the proper
  
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• Jeremy Hunt backs Acas talks in bid to avoid junior doctors strike

  25-11-2015 16:49
  
  The Government will agree to talks with Acas in a bid to avoid strike action by thousands of junior doctors, the Health Secretary has said.
  
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• Public finances better off by £27bn

  25-11-2015 16:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicts a £27bn improvement in the public finances over the next five years.
  
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• Moo-ving On Up: Confused Cow Rescued After Falling Onto A ROOF

  25-11-2015 16:26
  
  The animal was happily chewing the grass on an elevated field in Shibden, West Yorkshire, when it dropped onto the sun terrace of a house
  
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• Osborne raises budget target, scraps cuts to tax credits

  25-11-2015 16:02
  
  By William Schomberg and David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) - Chancellor George Osborne surprised his critics on Wednesday by increasing his budget surplus target for the end of the decade, and dropping an unpopular plan to cut tax credits for low-earning households. Osborne also said he planned to spare Britain's police forces from the deep spending cuts that will hit several government departments, a nod to concerns about security after the attacks in Paris earlier this month. Turning Britain's b
  
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• Osborne moves to protect core science funding

  25-11-2015 15:59
  
  Chancellor George Osborne has bowed to pressure from scientists to protect their core government funding from the effects of inflation.
  
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• John McDonnell Mocked For Quoting Chairman Mao During Spending Review Response

  25-11-2015 15:49
  
  McDonnell quoted from the book: 'We must learn to do economic work from all who know how, no matter who they are.'
  
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• At-a-glance: Spending Review key points

  25-11-2015 15:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An at-a-glance summary of the main points of the 2015 Autumn Statement and Comprehensive Spending Review.
  
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• 94 women aged 50 and over had babies last year - and 143 girls of 14 and under

  25-11-2015 15:38
  
  More than 90 women aged 50 and over gave birth last year, although the numbers are falling, data shows.
  
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• Rape Arrest After Student's Body Found In River

  25-11-2015 15:32
  
  A man has been arrested on suspicion of rape in connection with the death of student Caroline Everest, whose body was found in a river. The 31-year-old man is being questioned and remains in custody, South Yorkshire Police said. Detective Chief Inspector Victoria Short said: "At this time, we are treating Caroline's death as unexplained.
  
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• Eagles Of Death Metal drummer vows to finish Bataclan gig in Paris

  25-11-2015 15:08
  
  Eagles Of Death Metal drummer Julian Dorio has vowed to finish their Paris gig, saying he is "counting down the days" until they can do so.
  
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• VIDEO: 'Take up yoga', noisy MP told by Speaker

  25-11-2015 14:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, tells a noisy MP who disrupted George Osborne's Spending Review speech that he should "take up yoga".
  
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• Osborne scraps cuts to tax credit and police funding

  25-11-2015 14:42
  
  George Osborne has scrapped planned cuts to tax credits for millions of low paid workers and ruled out further reductions in police budgets.
  
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• Caroline Everest death: Man arrested on suspicion of rape

  25-11-2015 14:42
  
  Police investigating the "unexplained" death of 18-year-old student Caroline Everest have arrested a man on suspicion of rape.
  
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• 'Ramps for ponds' plea to bird lovers after mass drownings of starlings

  25-11-2015 14:31
  
  Cases of mass-drowning by thirsty starlings have prompted a warning to bird lovers from scientists.
  
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• December deal for British EU reform difficult - chief EU negotiator

  25-11-2015 14:26
  
  By Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin DUBLIN (Reuters) - It will be difficult but not impossible for officials renegotiating Britain's EU membership to have a framework ready for substantial discussion at next month's European Union summit, the EU's chief negotiator said on Wednesday. Prime Minister David Cameron is trying to win concessions from other leaders ahead of a referendum on British membership promised by the end of 2017 amid opinion polls that show British perceptions of the EU are ch
  
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• Spending Review 2015: The Key Points

  25-11-2015 14:24
  
  George Osborne has been laying out his plans for the British economy in the Spending Review. Here are the key points from his speech.
  
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• Osborne sticks to budget target, scraps cuts to tax credits

  25-11-2015 14:22
  
  By William Schomberg and David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) - Chancellor George Osborne surprised his critics by sticking with his budget surplus target for the end of the decade, even as he abandoned a controversial plan to make big savings in one part of the welfare budget. Osborne told parliament on Wednesday that he was aiming for a surplus of 10.1 billion pounds by the 2019/20 financial year, slightly higher than a previous target announced in July. "We have committed to running a surplus," Os
  
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• Winter Deaths Surge Blamed On Flu Jab Issues

  25-11-2015 14:07
  
  Excess winter deaths in England and Wales reached 43,900 last year, the highest number since 1999. That represented a rise of 151% on the previous winter and the biggest annual jump in more than 40 years, figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed. Claudia Wells, the head of mortality statistics at the ONS, said: "While the cold temperature is a factor, most of last winter was warmer than average.
  
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• Tim Yeo evidence in libel action 'untrue and dishonest', says judge

  25-11-2015 14:06
  
  A judge has dismissed former MP Tim Yeo's libel action over a "cash-for-advocacy" claim and called his evidence untrue and dishonest.
  
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• Osborne scraps tax credit cut plans

  25-11-2015 13:54
  
  George Osborne has announced he is to scrap planned cuts to tax credits for millions of low paid workers.
  
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