General news

• Chris Grayling speaks out over 'disastrous' EU membership terms

  13-01-2016 23:49
  Cabinet minister Chris Grayling has delivered a damning assessment of the European Union, claiming the current terms of membership are "disastrous" for the UK.
  
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• Virtual reality tour that shows you what it is like to have dementia

  13-01-2016 23:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  PEOPLE now have a chance to walk in the shoes of dementia sufferers thanks to a “tour” that mimics their everyday experience.
  
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• We salute you: WW2 hero who spent last years honouring fallen soldiers laid to rest

  13-01-2016 23:16 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  A SECOND World War veteran who spent his later years attending the funerals of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq was himself given the final salute yesterday.
  
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• Residents evacuated after unexploded Second World War bomb discovered

  13-01-2016 23:00
  The discovery of an unexploded Second World War bomb prompted the evacuation of residents in an east London street.
  
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• David Mundell reveals struggle before taking decision to come out as gay

  13-01-2016 22:19
  
  "Coming out" as gay still feels harder in Britain than standing for election or being interviewed on live television, Scottish Secretary David Mundell said as he revealed his sexuality.
  
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• Brent Crude Price Crashes Below $30 A Barrel

  13-01-2016 21:58
  
  The price of a barrel of Brent crude has crashed through the $30 mark to a new near 12-year low as the global oil slump shows no sign of abating. The glut of oil being pumped out by the US and other producers, combined with slowing world demand from the likes of China, has weighed heavily on the price of oil and other commodities. Meanwhile, speculation that there might be an emergency meeting of oil-producing OPEC nations to try to tackle the slump faded on Wednesday when Iran’s oil minis
  
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• Cast of Friends 'to reunite for two-hour special'

  13-01-2016 21:54
  The cast of Friends will reunite for a two-hour special, US broadcaster NBC has said.
  
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• Bank of England expected to keep interest rates at historic low

  13-01-2016 21:25
  Bank of England policymakers are expected to keep interest rates at record lows on Thursday, in the wake of the increasing likelihood that the UK economy slowed down last year.
  
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• Scientist Applies To Alter Human Embryos

  13-01-2016 21:11
  
  A UK scientist could be given permission to alter the DNA of human embryos, using gene editing technology. Dr Kathy Niakan has asked the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to allow her to turn genes on and off in day-old embryos, to discover which genes control their development. The HFEA will make its decision on Thursday.
  
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• Met Police To Double Armed Officers On Patrol

  13-01-2016 20:57
  
  A big boost to the number of armed police in London will help guard key buildings and other areas thought to be at risk of a terrorist gun attack. Scotland Yard is set to announce that it will increase the number of trained firearms officers by a third to allow it to double the number of police carrying weapons on the streets on any given day. The force announced last year that more firearms officers would be recruited in the wake of the gun and bomb atrocities in Paris.
  
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• Labour's Dan Jarvis urges Jeremy Corbyn not to rely on online polls

  13-01-2016 20:42
  
  Jeremy Corbyn has been warned not to put too much weight on online polls to support policy changes after the Labour leader signalled he would make increased use of internet surveys of party supporters.
  
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• Fears of Genette Tate's father as suspected killer Robert Black dies in prison

  13-01-2016 20:37
  
  Genette Tate's father fears he will never be able to lay his daughter to rest after her suspected murderer - serial child killer Robert Black - died in prison.
  
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• Police watchdog 'treats officers like suspects', Scotland's police union says

  13-01-2016 20:28
  Scotland's police complaints watchdog has been accused of using "oppressive and dehumanising" tactics as part of its investigations.
  
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• Man Shouted 'Let Go' Before Custody Death

  13-01-2016 20:24
  
  A paranoid schizophrenic allegedly shouted at police to "let go" minutes before suffering a cardiac arrest in custody, a court has heard. Thomas Orchard stopped breathing after being restrained for more than 20 minutes by officers following his arrest on suspicion of a public order offence in Exeter in 2012. A jury at Bristol Crown Court was shown CCTV of the moment a large webbing restraint belt was placed across his face at Exeter's main police station, which officers claim was to stop him fro
  
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• Coffee shops with wifi may have to store data under snooping laws

  13-01-2016 20:22
  Coffee shops running wifi networks may have to store internet data under new snooping laws, Theresa May has said.
  
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• No compensation for British owners of VW cars in diesel emissions scandal

  13-01-2016 20:06
  British owners of Volkswagen cars affected by the diesel emissions scandal will not receive compensation despite payouts being offered in the US because it is a "very different situation", the UK boss of the car manufacturer has said.
  
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• Study reveals migrant communities' 'rapid' integration over single generation

  13-01-2016 20:00
  Migrant communities integrate into a new culture over a single generation much more quickly than previously thought, a study of British Bangladeshis has suggested.
  
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• Complex frog communication surprises scientists

  13-01-2016 20:00
  Communication in frogs is more complex and sophisticated than previously thought, a new study of their behaviour found.
  
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• BP to be sued in UK by families of Algerian gas plant attack victims

  13-01-2016 19:25
  The families of two BP employees killed in the 2013 In Amenas gas plant attack in Algeria have filed a lawsuit in London's High Court against the company, accusing it of failing to take reasonable steps to protect its workers. BP, one of three partners with Norway's Statoil and Algeria's Sonatrach in the In Amenas joint venture plant, said it understood proceedings against certain BP entities had been issued in the London court. "Our clients have now commenced court proceedings to help them secu
  
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• Don't mention the Brexit: EU bans Plan B studies

  13-01-2016 19:17
  By Paul Taylor and Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Commission economists have been banned from researching the impact of Britain leaving the 28-nation bloc, or even talking about it, for fear of getting embroiled in the heated British debate ahead of a referendum, officials said. "There is an internal order not to discuss or study the impact of Brexit," a senior Commission official told Reuters, adding that the instruction had come from the office of European Union chief executi
  
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• DNA Links Suspect To Teen's 1982 Murder

  13-01-2016 19:11
  
  A man has been arrested over the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl in 1982 following a match on the DNA database. Yiannoulla Yianni was found dead by her parents at their family home in Hampstead, London, on 13 August 1982. A 56-year-old man was taken into custody on 12 January in Golders Green, north London.
  
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• Police wanted to charge childkiller Robert Black with Genette Tate murder

  13-01-2016 19:00
  Serial child killer Robert Black was likely to have been charged with the murder of Genette Tate in weeks, police have said.
  
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• Man-made climate change 'has postponed next ice age'

  13-01-2016 19:00
  Humans have changed the course of nature and postponed the next ice age through climate change, a study has found.
  
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• Snow Alert As Mercury Set To Dip Below Freezing

  13-01-2016 18:58
  
  Britain is bracing itself for blasts of snow, ice and frost as temperatures plummet to below freezing in parts of Scotland and England. Amber - be prepared - warnings, have been issued by the Met Office and are in force across Orkney & Shetland, Dumfries, Galloway, Lothian and Borders with temperatures expected to get as low as minus 4C or 5C. Yellow warnings for outbreaks of rain and sleet turning to snow have also been issued across vast swathes of Scotland - and England, including the Nor
  
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• Urban gangs 'recruit children under nine to sell drugs'

  13-01-2016 18:50
  
  Urban gangs are recruiting children aged under nine as they retreat from the streets and adopt more secretive tactics for criminal activities, official research indicates.
  
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• Doctors 'failed to protect airway' of mother who died hours after giving birth

  13-01-2016 18:39
  
  A mother-of-two died just hours after giving birth due to a failure on the part of two doctors who were not properly qualified, a court has heard.
  
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• Avalanche in French Alps engulfs 10 school pupils and teacher, killing 'at ... - Irish Independent

  13-01-2016 18:38 via
  Irish Independent
  Avalanche in French Alps engulfs 10 school pupils and teacher, killing 'at ...
  Irish Independent
  An avalanche in the French Alps has reportedly engulfed a group of school pupils and a teacher, killing at least two people, seriously injuring four and leaving five still missing. Share. Facebook · Twitter · Google · Email. Go To. Comments. French ...
  Alps avalanche kills French schoolgirl and UkrainianBBC News
  Skiing Children In Deadly Alps AvalancheSky News
  

• US thanks Iran for swift release of 10 Navy sailors - BBC News

  13-01-2016 18:36 via
  BBC News
  US thanks Iran for swift release of 10 Navy sailors
  BBC News
  The US has thanked Iran for the swift release of 10 US sailors held for entering its territorial waters. Secretary of State John Kerry said the resolution of the matter was "testament to the critical role diplomacy plays in keeping our country safe ...
  Iran frees US sailors swiftly as diplomacy smoothes watersReuters UK
  US says 'zero truth' to claims it apologised to Iran over US sailors incidentTelegraph.co.uk
  Iran's Swift R
  

• London To Get More Armed Police Officers

  13-01-2016 18:35
  A big boost to the number of armed police in London will help guard key buildings and other areas thought to be at risk of a terrorist gun attack. Scotland Yard is set to announce on Thursday how many extra officers will be trained to carry firearms to deal with the threat of a marauding gun attack. The force announced last year that more firearms officers would be recruited in the wake of the gun and bomb atrocities in Paris.
  
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• HMRC chief Lin Homer accused of allowing HSBC to get away 'scot free'

  13-01-2016 18:22
  HM Revenue and Customs chief Dame Lin Homer has been accused of allowing HSBC to get away "scot free" over the activities of its private Swiss bank.
  
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• Bosses can monitor employees' private messages on WhatsApp and other messaging ... - Irish Independent

  13-01-2016 18:17 via
  Irish Independent
  Bosses can monitor employees' private messages on WhatsApp and other messaging ...
  Irish Independent
  Employers can read private messages sent over the internet by workers during office hours, European judges have ruled. Share. Facebook · Twitter · Google · Email. Go To. Comments. In a case put before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), judges ...
  Companies can monitor workers' private online chats, European court rulesThe Guardian
  Employers can
  

• Suicide bombing at Pakistani polio centre kills at least 15, officials say - Sydney Morning Herald

  13-01-2016 17:47 via
  Sydney Morning Herald
  Suicide bombing at Pakistani polio centre kills at least 15, officials say
  Sydney Morning Herald
  Quetta, Pakistan: On the third day of a massive anti-polio drive in southern Pakistan, one of only two countries where the disease has not been eradicated, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a vaccination centre Wednesday, killing at least 15 people.
  Suicide attack on Pakistan polio vaccination centerJakarta Post
  Suicide bomber hits polio clinicNEWS.com.au
  Suicide Bombing
  

• Four held in child abuse probe after Medway Secure Training Centre claims

  13-01-2016 17:34
  
  Four men have been arrested on suspicion of child neglect by police investigating allegations of abuse and mistreatment of youngsters at a facility run by private security group G4S.
  
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• Fairy dust, lollipops and a marzipan Brandenburg Gate among royal gifts

  13-01-2016 17:32
  
  Two giant lollipops, a pair of booties and a wooden rattle were just some of the presents Prince George and Princess Charlotte received from well-wishers last year.
  
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• Conservative cabinet minister David Mundell announces he is gay - Daily Mail

  13-01-2016 17:22 via
  Daily Mail
  Conservative cabinet minister David Mundell announces he is gay
  Daily Mail
  The family of Scotland Secretary David Mundell have expressed support for the Tory minister after he revealed that he is gay today. His son Oliver said he 'admires dad as much today as yesterday' in a heartfelt message praising his father's 'brave ...
  David Mundell: in a country famously hostile to Tories, he commands respectThe Guardian
  Warm support as Conservative MP David Mundell becomes first openly gay Ca
  

• Sainsbury's Could Shut Up To 200 Argos Stores

  13-01-2016 17:20
  
  Sainsbury's could shut as many as 200 Argos stores as part of a possible takeover of the company's owner Home Retail Group. The plan would see outlets closed and relocated as concessions occupying under-used space within big Sainsbury's supermarkets. Details of the potential shake-up emerged as Sainsbury's set out its case for a potential £1bn-plus move for Home Retail Group, which also owns DIY chain Homebase.
  
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• Polish-German alliance begins to fray - Financial Times

  13-01-2016 17:11 via
  Financial Times
  Polish-German alliance begins to fray
  Financial Times
  'She is a unique person for me, and me for her . . . this is a deep and unique friendship.” Donald Tusk, former Polish PM on Angela Merkel — FT, 2014. ©AFP. 'I fear German power less than I am beginning to fear German inactivity.' Poland's then ...
  EU investigating possible breach of democratic standards in PolandThe Globe and Mail
  What's at Stake for Poland as EU Starts Democracy Probe?Bloomberg
  EU begins as
  

• Kathy Niakan: Scientist makes case to edit embryos - BBC News

  13-01-2016 17:10 via
  BBC News
  Kathy Niakan: Scientist makes case to edit embryos
  BBC News
  A scientist has been making her case to be the first in the UK to be allowed to genetically modify human embryos. Dr Kathy Niakan said the experiments would provide a deeper understanding of the earliest moments of human life and could reduce ...
  UK scientists ready to genetically modify human embryosThe Guardian
  British scientists could genetically edit human embryos by MarchTelegraph.co.uk
  IVF: First genetically-modifie
  

• Many Britons 'have experience of online data theft or identity fraud'

  13-01-2016 17:03
  One in five people in the UK has been, or knows someone who has been, the victim of online data theft or identity fraud, new research claims.
  
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• Bowie curated his death with Blackstar album, says photographer Leibovitz

  13-01-2016 16:48
  
  David Bowie "curated his death" with his final album Blackstar and his US musical Lazarus, according to portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz.
  
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• Sky Poll: 63% Support England Sports Anthem

  13-01-2016 16:45
  
  A Sky Data Snap poll has revealed that 63% of people surveyed support England having its own national sporting anthem. The top choice was Land Of Hope And Glory (40%), followed closely by Jerusalem (31%), There’ll Always Be An England (18%) and I Vow To Thee My Country (11%). It comes as a senior Labour MP launched a bid in Parliament for an English national anthem to be sung at major sporting events instead of God Save The Queen.
  
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• Revealed: how Jeremy Corbyn has reshaped the Labour party - The Guardian

  13-01-2016 16:35 via
  The Guardian
  Revealed: how Jeremy Corbyn has reshaped the Labour party
  The Guardian
  Jeremy Corbyn is flanked by supporters as he arrives to deliver his keynote speech at Labour's autumn conference in Brighton. Photograph: Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images. Ewen MacAskill. Wednesday 13 January 2016 10.34 EST Last modified on Wednesday ...
  David Cameron: Labour doesn't believe in work, Jeremy Corbyn doesn't believe ...Telegraph.co.uk
  Cameron and Corbyn in council estates rowFinancial Times
  Council t
  

• English anthem bill to get parliamentary debate - Financial Times

  13-01-2016 16:34 via
  Financial Times
  English anthem bill to get parliamentary debate
  Financial Times
  Sports fans may soon be calling for a bow of burning gold and some arrows of desire at the start of matches after MPs agreed to introduce a bill on whether or not England should be given its own national anthem. The hymn “Jerusalem” is widely ...
  MPs back calls for English national anthemBBC News
  English national anthem: MPs back plan to replace God Save The Queen at ...The Independent
  So we want an Engl
  

• Hatton Garden Heist Jury Considers Verdict

  13-01-2016 16:28
  The jury in the trial of four men accused of involvement in the Hatton Garden raid, in which an estimated £14m worth of jewellery and valuables were stolen, have retired to consider their verdicts. The group used a drill to bore a hole through the metre-wide wall of a vault in London's jewellery quarter, before ransacking 73 safety deposit boxes. Four men - said to be the ringleaders - have already pleaded guilty to their part in the raid at Hatton Garden Safe Deposit and will sentenced la
  
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• George Osborne waives VAT on NHS Choir charity single

  13-01-2016 16:27
  
  Health charities have gained an extra cash boost from the NHS Choir charity single, after Chancellor George Osborne announced he will make a donation to them of all the VAT paid on the Christmas chart-topper.
  
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• Hunt Says Strike 'Unnecessary' As Talks Resume

  13-01-2016 15:40
  
  The Health Secretary branded the junior doctors' strike "very unnecessary" as he said he hoped talks to avert further walkouts would succeed. The British Medical Association will resume discussions with the Government on Thursday morning in an attempt to reach a deal on new junior doctors' contracts. It is hoped the disagreement over the new contract Jeremy Hunt wants to impose on junior doctors, which changes the deal medics get on weekend working, can be settled before the next 48-hour strike
  
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• Four takeaways from the 2016 State of the Union Address (with some history ... - Washington Post

  13-01-2016 15:39 via
  Washington Post
  Four takeaways from the 2016 State of the Union Address (with some history ...
  Washington Post
  President Obama delivered his seventh, and presumably last, State of the Union (SOTU) address on Tuesday night. Seventh, because his “Address before a Joint Session of Congress” in February 2009 was not, technically, a SOTU, even though it was ...
  Behind both Obama and Haley speeches, Trump loomsReuters
  Analysis: Obama in campaign form in final State of the UnionFort W
  

• General Electric To Cut Around 570 UK Jobs

  13-01-2016 15:27
  
  US-based giant General Electric are poised to cut around 570 UK jobs as part of a shake-up, Sky News understands. Sky News understands nearly 3% of GE's 22,000-strong UK workforce could be made redundant as a result of a European restructuring, which is likely to see a total of 6,500 jobs lost. The jobs cuts relate to streamlining associated with the acquisition of Alstom.
  
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• Regulator to consider plans to genetically modify human embryos

  13-01-2016 14:55
  Scientists could be given permission to genetically modify human embryos for the first time in the UK when controversial proposals go before the fertility regulator on Thursday.
  
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• Judges rule employers can read workers' private messages

  13-01-2016 14:43
  Employers can read private messages sent over the internet by workers during office hours, European judges have ruled.
  
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