General news

• Briton In Space: 'Hope You Enjoyed The Show'

  15-12-2015 23:42
  
  Tim Peake has become the first British astronaut to board the International Space Station, which will be his home for the next six months. Major Peake along with Russian commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA astronaut Tim Kopra were greeted by the existing crew of the ISS, which travels around the Earth at 17,500mph at an average height of 220 miles. The 43-year-old astronaut, who works for the European Space Agency, also joked that it was a "great time in the office".
  
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• British astronaut Tim Peake begins mission on International Space Station

  15-12-2015 22:42
  
  Britain's star astronaut Tim Peake has started his mission on the International Space Station (ISS) after a perfect rocket launch watched by his family.
  
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• Driver Who Mowed Down Love Rival Jailed For Life

  15-12-2015 20:56
  
  Richard Pencott was struck head-on by an Audi A4 driven by Sam Spaven in a pre-planned hit-and-run, Nottingham Crown Court heard. Mr Pencott suffered a fractured skull, chest injuries and numerous broken bones after the force of the impact launched his bike over a 10ft-high fence as he cycled along a footpath alongside the A631. The aftermath of the attack by Spaven, 27, of Norfolk Road, Bircotes, Nottinghamshire, was caught on a dashboard camera by a passing motorist.
  
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• Former BBC chief Greg Dyke says Corporation 'is envy of the world'

  15-12-2015 20:40
  
  Former director general of the BBC Greg Dyke says the Corporation is the envy of the world - but faces an uncertain future because of "hostile politicians".
  
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• Daughter of leading lawyer told manager she had another job, inquest told

  15-12-2015 19:12
  
  The daughter of leading lawyer Michael Mansfield QC told her line manager that she was leaving for another job - then later revealed she had no role to go to, the inquest into her death was told today.
  
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• Tim Peake's rocket docks safely with International Space Station

  15-12-2015 18:43
  
  British astronaut Tim Peake has safely made contact with the International Space Station (ISS) after blasting off in a rocket from Kazakhstan this morning.
  
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• Killers 'could be escaping justice because of scenes-of-death blunders'

  15-12-2015 18:43
  
  Killers could be escaping justice because of blunders at the scenes of deaths, an official report suggests.
  
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• Margaret Thatcher's wedding dress sells for £25,000

  15-12-2015 18:02
  
  Margaret Thatcher's wedding dress has sold for £25,000 as the auction of the late prime minister's personal belongings kicks off.
  
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• Hatton Garden raid accused 'needed to pay off debts'

  15-12-2015 18:02
  
  One of the men accused of being involved in the Hatton Garden jewellery raid took part to pay off debts of more than £20,000, it was alleged.
  
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• More Britons support leaving EU - poll for eurosceptic group

  15-12-2015 17:23
  
  The share of Britons wanting to leave the European Union has risen to 51 percent while 49 percent would like to remain in the bloc, an opinion poll conducted by pollster Survation, on behalf of a eurosceptic political organisation, showed on Tuesday. Survation said the poll showed an increase of three percentage points in people wanting to leave the EU compared with a previous poll on Nov. 17. The poll of more than 10,000 people was conducted online between Nov. 30 and Dec. 3 and had a standard
  
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• 'Nothing prepares you' for seeing a rocket take off

  15-12-2015 17:15
  
  The Press Association's science correspondent, John von Radowitz, has been watching Tim Peake's historic launch in Kazakhstan.
  
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• What Are The Busiest And Quietest Train Stations In Britain?

  15-12-2015 17:11
  
  The total number of entries and exits at Britain’s stations over the year increased by 4.5% to reach a staggering 2.8 billion
  
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• M27 Motorway Closed After Woman Dies In The Middle Of The Road

  15-12-2015 17:00
  
  All three lanes of the westbound carriageway were shut for a time but traffic is now moving, although there are severe delays
  
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• Starbucks Tax Bill Falls As Profits Rise

  15-12-2015 16:55
  
  Starbucks paid less corporation tax in the UK this year - in a period when its profits rose to a record level. The US-owned coffee chain - whose tax affairs have proved controversial in the past - contributed £8.1m to the Exchequer for the year to 27 September, down from £11.4m the year before. Starbucks came under intense pressure after research in 2012 showed it had paid just £8.6m in tax on £3bn in sales over the first 14 years since it launched in the UK in 1998.
  
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• Premier League Giants Get Royal Approval

  15-12-2015 16:55
  
  The Duchess of Cambridge has revealed which football team she supports - and it is not her husband's beloved Aston Villa. Kate is a fan of current Premier League champions Chelsea, who look anything but rulers of the domestic game at the moment. The news that the Duchess follows Jose Mourinho's beleaguered Blues emerged during a visit to a children's mental health centre in King's Cross, central London.
  
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• Waterloo tops list of busiest UK railway stations

  15-12-2015 16:47
  
  The UK's busiest and quietest train stations have been revealed by the rail regulator.
  
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• Drug dealer entitled to damages after failed deportation, says High Court

  15-12-2015 16:47
  
  A foreign national convicted of drug dealing and recommended for deportation is entitled to damages for unlawful detention, the High Court has ruled.
  
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• Kate drums up sore hands at children's mental health centre

  15-12-2015 16:38
  The Duchess of Cambridge beat out a festive rhythm when she joined a group of youngsters for a drumming workshop at a children's mental health centre.
  
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• UK Jihadi Guilty Of Possessing Terror Videos

  15-12-2015 16:32
  
  Muslim convert Mustafa Abdullah was stopped at Gatwick Airport as he returned from a trip to Syria last year. The jury at the Old Bailey was shown a picture from April 2014 of Abdullah with an automatic rifle on his shoulder - an image that was recovered from his mobile. Abdullah claimed during his trial that MI5 paid him £10,000 for helping them, and insisted he Went to Syria only to carry out humanitarian work.
  
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• London jihadi jailed for possession of terror training videos

  15-12-2015 15:46
  
  A gun-obsessed jihadi who claimed to be on the MI5 payroll has been jailed for four and a half years for having a stash of terror training videos.
  
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• British Man Held In VTech Toy Hacking Probe

  15-12-2015 15:28
  
  A British man has been arrested following the hacking of children's electronic toy maker VTech. The 21-year-old was held in Bracknell, Berkshire, following a major cyber crime investigation. VTech had customer data which was housed on its Learning Lodge app store database hacked in November.
  
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• Share Prices Bounce Back As Oil Steadies

  15-12-2015 15:24
  
  The FTSE 100 Index has fought back after a miserable eight-session losing streak with supermarkets among the top risers and commodities stocks also recovering. Britain's top share index had slumped to three-year lows on Monday as the oil price sank, with Brent crude slipping to $37.50 a barrel, a seven-year low. But the price steadied as oil edged above $38 in the latest session – and the FTSE 100 added 100 points.
  
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• Areas with highest personal insolvency rates revealed

  15-12-2015 15:05
  
  Vale of Clwyd, Stoke-on-Trent North and Torbay were the parliamentary constituencies with the highest personal insolvency rates across England and Wales last year, according to official figures.
  
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• Trump's Scottish love affair sours as court to rule on wind farm

  15-12-2015 15:03
  
  By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's top court will decide on Wednesday whether to back U.S. Republican presidential front runner Donald Trump's bid to stop wind farms being built near his luxury Scottish golf resort amid a growing spat with politicians in his mother's homeland. The decision comes after a week in which his call to deny Muslims entry to the United States has resulted in his being stripped of two Scottish honorary positions, prompted a record petition calling for him to
  
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• Women 'want more support from midwives immediately after giving birth'

  15-12-2015 14:58
  
  One in seven women is left alone and worried during early labour - while only half get the support they need immediately after birth, according to an official NHS survey.
  
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• Sainsbury's triumphs over supermarket rivals as sales rise in Christmas run-up

  15-12-2015 14:58
  
  Supermarket Sainsbury's has emerged as the sector's winner so far in the run-up to Christmas as it became the only one of the major players to notch up a rise in sales.
  
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• Police 'advised TalkTalk not to warn customers about cyber attack'

  15-12-2015 14:58
  
  Police advised telecoms giant TalkTalk not to warn its customers about a cyber attack that resulted in personal data being stolen, the firm's chief executive said.
  
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• Caledonian Sleeper staff vote to strike over 'train defects'

  15-12-2015 14:58
  
  Workers on the Caledonian Sleeper rail service have voted to go on strike in a row over claims of defects on trains.
  
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• Alexander Litvinenko inquiry report to be published on January 21

  15-12-2015 14:58
  
  The report of the official inquiry into the death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko is to be published on January 21.
  
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• MPs join plaudits for astronaut Tim Peake with rendition of Space Oddity

  15-12-2015 14:27
  
  British astronaut Tim Peake's blast off into space has prompted MPs to launch into song and reel off a series of space puns and classic sci-fi one liners.
  
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• 'Amazing': Astronaut's Family Watch In Awe

  15-12-2015 14:20
  
  The wife of astronaut Tim Peake has spoken of her delight at the launch of the rocket carrying him into space. Major Peake's wife Rebecca and their two sons  watched the blast-off  from a special viewing area around a mile from the launch pad in Kazakhstan. Children waved Union Jacks as they watched the historic launch on big screens at the attraction.
  
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• No guarantee of vote if Government moves to raise tuition fees, says Javid

  15-12-2015 14:10
  
  Business Secretary Sajid Javid has refused to guarantee MPs a vote should proposals to increase tuition fees emerge.
  
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• Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery prepares for fiance's funeral

  15-12-2015 14:10
  
  Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery has marked a heartbreaking birthday by making preparations for her fiance's funeral.
  
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• Kate takes part in festive activities at children's mental health centre

  15-12-2015 12:57
  
  The Duchess of Cambridge got in the festive spirit during a visit to a leading children's mental health centre when she joined youngsters making a Christmas tree.
  
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• British astronaut Tim Peake blasts off into space

  15-12-2015 12:55
  
  A Russian rocket carrying British astronaut Tim Peake into space has blasted off from Kazakhstan in a spectacular display of fire and thunder.
  
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• British Astronaut Tim Peake Blasts Into Space

  15-12-2015 12:51
  
  A rocket has blasted off carrying British astronaut Major Tim Peake to the International Space Station (ISS). He took off in the Soyuz FG rocket at 11.03am UK time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan along with his two colleagues – Russian commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA astronaut Tim Kopra. Zero gravity was reached by the Soyuz spacecraft after nine minutes of travel.
  
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• British police arrest 21-year-old man tied to VTech toy hack

  15-12-2015 12:42
  
  British police have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with the hacking of toymaker VTech Holdings , which exposed the data of 6.4 million children, in what experts said is the largest known theft of personal data targeting kids. "We are still at the early stages of the investigation and there is still much work to be done," Craig Jones, head of the regional cyber crime unit said in a statement. VTech, a Hong Kong-based firm, disclosed the massive data breach early in December.
  
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• England House Prices Hit £300,000 Average

  15-12-2015 12:32
  
  The cost of a typical home in England has hit a record £300,000 for the first time, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) measured a £1,000 increase in October UK-wide, with values 7% up year-on-year at an £287,000 average. England has been largely driving the increase - particularly in the East and South East regions, where growth was 10.4% and 9.5% respectively.
  
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• Ho, Ho, Ho: Miliband Joke Tops Christmas Poll

  15-12-2015 12:29
  
  Seven months on and it would appear the joke's still on Ed Miliband.
  
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• Insight - Cameron's 'Brexit' riddle: Row with EU or row with Eurosceptics?

  15-12-2015 12:20
  
  By William James and Guy Faulconbridge LONDON (Reuters) - When David Cameron urges European Union leaders on Thursday to do a deal to keep Britain in the bloc, he will face a riddle that has haunted Conservative prime ministers for three decades: a row with Europe or a row with Eurosceptics at home? Cameron's bid to renegotiate the terms of Britain's membership of the bloc ahead of a referendum he has promised by the end of 2017, has hit the rocks over a demand to make working EU migrants wait f
  
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• Amazon 'pulls sales of hoverboards' amid safety concerns

  15-12-2015 12:16
  
  Amazon has stopped selling hoverboards amid growing concerns over the safety of the popular gadget, a major manufacturer has said.
  
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• Margaret Thatcher's power suits, handbags go on sale

  15-12-2015 12:12
  
  Handbags, clothes and jewellery owned by the late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher are to go on sale on Tuesday, with some items expected to fetch up to 180,000 pounds. Up to 350 "historic and personal lots" related to Thatcher are on offer, and include Britain's only woman prime minister's wedding dress, her red prime ministerial dispatch bag and a figure of an eagle given to her by former U.S. president Ronald Reagan. Known as the "Iron Lady", Thatcher was Britain's longest-serving pri
  
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• British watchdog investigates Reckitt's Nurofen Express ad

  15-12-2015 12:08
  
  (Reuters) - Britain's advertising watchdog is investigating whether a television ad for Reckitt Benckiser Group's Nurofen Express pain relief tablets misled consumers with unfounded claims. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it received complaints in February that the ad was misleading because it implies the drug directly targets head muscles and gives faster headache relief than paracetamol or ibuprofen. Confirmation of the ASA investigation, which was launched in March, came a day
  
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• Not On The Menu: This Is NOT What You Want To Find In Your KFC Corn On The Cob

  15-12-2015 12:04
  
  'I noticed something black and hard on the edge of the corn on the cob so I removed the wooden stick from the middle of it and a creature seemed to crawl out of the middle.'
  
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• British astronaut Tim Peake blasts off for space station

  15-12-2015 12:04
  
  Major Tim Peake has blasted off into orbit on board the Soyuz space capsule on his way to becoming the first British astronaut to join the crew of the International Space Station (ISS).
  
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• Man held in VTech Learning Lodge database hacking probe

  15-12-2015 11:59
  
  A 21-year-old man has been arrested as part of a cyber crime investigation into computer hacking at children's electronic toy maker VTech.
  
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• EE and Vodafone remain most complained-about telecoms companies

  15-12-2015 11:59
  
  Customer complaints about telecoms and pay TV suppliers have increased, with EE and Vodafone retaining their positions as the most complained-about companies.
  
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• Average UK house price soars to record £287,000 in October

  15-12-2015 11:59
  
  House prices surged to another record high of £287,000 across the UK and hit the £300,000 mark in England for the first time on average in October, according to official figures.
  
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• Anton Du Beke: Strictly Come Dancing fix is 'impossible'

  15-12-2015 11:59
  
  Strictly Come Dancing professional Anton Du Beke says it is "impossible" that the show is fixed.
  
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• 5m retirees can cash in annuities from April 2017 as pension 'freedoms' extended

  15-12-2015 11:59
  
  Five million pensioners will be able to cash in their annuities for a lump sum payment from April 2017, the Treasury has confirmed.
  
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