General news

• Ukrainian oligarchs settle $2-billion dispute days before London court hearing

  22-01-2016 23:59
  
  LONDON (Reuters) - A $2 billion (1 billion pounds) legal dispute in London over ownership of a Ukrainian iron ore factory involving three of Ukraine's richest men was settled out of court on Friday, a spokesman for one of the oligarchs said.
  
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• Britain on the booze: how a night of alcohol impacts the NHS

  22-01-2016 23:41
  
  An entire evening of nationwide drinking - and how it affects the NHS and its overstretched A&E departments and ambulance services 10.41pm GMTIt’s kicking out time in the dry bar. 10.26pm GMTAnd before we go back out to the nation at large, herewith a sneak preview of tomorrow’s front page, leading on the aforementioned article about how the booze industry cashes in on problem drinkers. With lots more from our #thisistheNHS series inside. Oh, and a story about Charlotte Rampling,
  
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• Canada grade school on lockdown after shooting, says Saskatchewan premier

  22-01-2016 23:36
  
  Brad Wall said there were ‘victims’ of school shooting in aboriginal community of La Loche, as local chief told newspaper that at least two people were killed FridayThe premier of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan said there has been a shooting at a grade 7 through 12 school in an aboriginal community in remote La Loche.Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall says there are victims but did not say how many or release any other details about the Friday shooting.Continue reading...
  
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• All-seeing Cech lays to rest Arsenal demons of Chelsea’s Mourinho era | Dominic Fifield

  22-01-2016 23:30
  
  Arsène Wenger’s ‘camera behind the team’ has given his side the focus to be Premier League challengers once more after a torrid period against their rivalsThere was a time, not that long ago, when Chelsea’s eyes would light up at the prospect of a collision with Arsenal. This was an occasion to reimpose the recently established order in the capital, when mere mention of José Mourinho drew from Arsène Wenger that all too familiar world-weary look as th
  
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• Trump is making it harder to defeat extremists, says Cameron

  22-01-2016 23:29
  US presidential hopeful Donald Trump is making it more difficult to confront and defeat extremists, David Cameron has said.
  
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• Liverpool set to raise bid for Shakhtar Donetsk striker Alex Teixeira

  22-01-2016 23:29
  
  • Ukrainian club want €50m for 26-year-old Brazilian
  • Jürgen Klopp admits a new striker would affect summer transfersLiverpool are considering raising their €32m (£24.6m) bid for Alex Teixeira, as Jürgen Klopp admitted a new addition in January would have ramifications for his existing strikers in the summer.Anfield officials remain in negotiations with Shakhtar Donetsk over Teixeira despite disparities in their valuations of the 26-year-old being made clear
  
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• Google Pays Millions In UK Back Taxes

  22-01-2016 23:29
  
  Google has reached a deal with the British taxman to pay £130m in back taxes. "We will now pay tax based on revenue from UK-based advertisers, which reflects the size and scope of our UK business," a spokeswoman said. "The way multinational companies are taxed has been debated for many years and the international tax system is changing as a result.
  
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• Google agrees to pay £130m in back taxes dating to 2005

  22-01-2016 23:29
  Internet giant Google has agreed to pay back taxes of £130 million to the Government, the company said.
  
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• Donald Trump is making it harder to defeat extremists, says David Cameron

  22-01-2016 23:27
  
  Prime minister says Republican presidential frontrunner is making a ‘fundamental mistake’ in blaming all Muslims for the ideology of a minorityUS presidential hopeful Donald Trump is making it more difficult to confront and defeat extremists by making the “fundamental mistake” of trying to blame all Muslims for the ideology of a minority, David Cameron has said.Trump, who is vying to win the Republican nomination, sparked widespread anger after he demanded a block on Musl
  
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• Martin Rowson on David Cameron and the refugee crisis – cartoon

  22-01-2016 23:17
  
  Continue reading...
  
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• Google agrees to pay HMRC £130m in back taxes

  22-01-2016 23:15
  
  Firm will pay back a decade’s worth of taxes and bear greater tax burden in future to compensate for underpayment of UK taxesGoogle has agreed a deal with HMRC to pay £130m in back taxes and bear a greater tax burden in future, the company has confirmed.The deal will cover a decade of underpayment of UK taxes by the firm, which has been criticised in the past for its tax avoidance policies. Continue reading...
  
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• Nanny jailed for 20 years for murdering and chopping up employers

  22-01-2016 23:04
  
  Chinese nanny had admitted killing and dismembering parents of baby who died in her care but claimed it was in self-defence A Chinese nanny has been jailed for 20 years by a Paris court for murdering and chopping up her employers after their two-month-old baby died in her care.Hui Zhang, 34, had admitted killing the couple, Ying Wang and Liangsi Xui, during a violent row at her home after they learned the little boy had died. Continue reading...
  
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• Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski hits double to quash Hamburg threat

  22-01-2016 22:44
  
  Robert Lewandowski struck twice as Bayern Munich won 2-1 at Hamburg to stretch their lead at the top to 11 points as the Bundesliga resumed following a one-month winter break. Related: Hamburg 1-2 Bayern Munich: Bundesliga – as it happenedContinue reading...
  
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• US-led coalition expected to announce more civilian casualties in strikes on Isis

  22-01-2016 22:33
  
  Coalition’s internal assessments of civilian casualties is markedly lower than other independent estimates during the 18-month war over Iraq and SyriaThe US-led military coalition has called its war against the Islamic State the “most precise air campaign in history” despite having identified 16 civilians mistakenly killed and another nine injured in strikes last summer.Colonel Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for the coalition, told reporters on Friday he expects “additional a
  
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• Hamburg 1-2 Bayern Munich: Bundesliga – as it happened

  22-01-2016 22:24
  
  Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern Munich moved 11 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with victory over Hamburg 9.24pm GMTWell, a just-about deserved win for Bayern, and they move 11 points clear at the top. Hamburg battled well, and had a 10-minute spell in the second half where they caused Bayern problems, but once Lewandowski had restored Bayern’s lead with a slightly fortunate deflection, the champions looked comfortable, and David Alaba was close to making it 3-1 with a
  
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• Astronaut Scott Kelly plays liquid ping pong in space – video

  22-01-2016 22:11
  
  Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly, who marked his 300th day aboard the International Space Station on 21 January, displays another fascinating feature of life in microgravity by playing ping pong with a water droplet. Kelly explains that the hydrophobic paddles repel water and allow him to move the ball of water back and forth Continue reading...
  
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• Spanish PM Rajoy turns down king's petition to form new government

  22-01-2016 22:00
  
  Spain’s incumbent prime minister appears to have no support to form coalition and focus turns to Socialists to try and piece together a government Spain’s incumbent conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy has turned down an offer by King Felipe VI to try to form a new government following last month’s inconclusive elections. The news came in a statement from Spain’s Royal Palace on Friday evening.It followed a week of talks between the monarch and party leaders. Continu
  
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• Spanish PM Rajoy turns down king's offer to form new government

  22-01-2016 22:00
  
  Spain’s prime minister lacks support to form coalition with Socialists next to try to piece together a government after inconclusive electionsSpain’s conservative prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has turned down an offer by King Felipe VI to try to form a new government following last month’s inconclusive elections.The news, in a statement from Spain’s royal palace on Friday evening, followed a week of talks between the monarch and party leaders. Continue reading...
  
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• East coast winter storm: travel chaos as thousands of flights cancelled – live

  22-01-2016 21:59
  
  Washington DC in bull’s eye of potentially record-breaking storm
  Hundreds of vehicle crashes reported as storm moves through southCoastal flood warnings and states of emergency in effect 8.49pm GMTIf you’re worried about being cooped up all weekend, the Guardian’s Amber Jamieson (@ambiej) has the cure, with a list of the most blizzard-appropriate movies for what is expected to be a very snowy weekend.Why not chuck some butter on your popcorn and indulge shamelessly in a bunch o
  
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• Why it's great news that Frances Morris will run Tate Modern

  22-01-2016 21:52
  
  The Tate veteran has already made her mark, transforming Louise Bourgeois’s reputation and championing female and non-European artists The first time I met Frances Morris she was trying unsuccessfully to get a model aeroplane factory working. Now she is to run a power station that has become one of the world’s leading galleries of modern art. Morris’s appointment as the new director of Tate Modern has thrilled the art world. Tate supremo Sir Nicholas Serota describes her as &ld
  
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• Oscars diversity: academy to double female and minority members by 2020

  22-01-2016 21:51
  
  The announcement followed criticism and calls for an Oscar boycott after members nominated all-white slate of actors for the second year in a rowThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciencesis pledging to double the number of female and minority members by 2020 and will immediately diversify its leadership by adding three new seats to its board of governors.Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced the changes Friday, following a weeklong storm of criticism and calls for an Oscar boycott
  
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• Britain on the booze - live

  22-01-2016 21:50
  
  An entire evening of nationwide drinking - and how it affects the NHS and its overstretched A&E departments and ambulance services 8.50pm GMTOn a train, all the physical rules of the drinker’s universe - the time of the yardarm, what mixes with what, critically, how much you should drink before you stop - are suspended.
  At 7:21pm, the train pulled into Liverpool Lime Street. A man with his trousers at rapper-height but his pants dragged somewhere invisible punched the door opener butto
  
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• Oh baby...Ruby finds her feet after plaster ordeal

  22-01-2016 21:47
  A baby is rediscovering her legs after having them in plaster for half her life due to a hip problem.
  
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• Sunderland sign Steve Harper on short-term deal as goalkeeping cover

  22-01-2016 21:39
  
  • 40-year-old will provide backup to Vito Mannone and Jordan Pickford
  • The manager Sam Allardyce says goalkeeper has vast experienceSunderland have signed the former Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper on a short-term deal until the end of the season, the club have confirmed.The 40-year-old, who made 199 appearances for the Magpies during a 20-year stay at St James’ Park, has been drafted in following Costel Pantilimon’s departure to Watford earlier this week. Continue readi
  
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• Isle of Wight 'Superhead' running makeshift school for refugees

  22-01-2016 21:35
  
  Dr Rory Fox, otherwise known as the ‘toughest head in England’, now teaching from a scout tent in the Grand-Synthe refugee camp outside DunkirkA controversial head teacher who made headlines with his disciplinarian teaching ethos and draconian uniform rules is running a makeshift school for refugee children in the camps near Calais.Dr Rory Fox earned himself a reputation in the media of being “the toughest head in England” after cracking down on bad behaviour in class and
  
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• Deadliest January for refugees as 45 die when boats capsize in Aegean

  22-01-2016 21:31
  
  Angela Merkel says tragedy underlines need for EU partners and countries in region to address causes of conflictsAt least 45 people have died after their boats sank near two Greek islands, the latest tragedy on the border of a continent still riven by seemingly intractable disagreements over how to deal with its refugee crisis. In a double shipwreck that made this month the deadliest January on record for migrants trying to cross the sea, two wooden boats sank in the eastern Aegeanoff the island
  
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• Gun gang jailed for 45 years after running operation from prison

  22-01-2016 21:27
  
  Leader Ishmael Brown used illicit mobile phone to direct other gang members to sell guns reactivated by Polish former soldierThe leader of a gang of gun dealers who have been jailed for a total of 45 years was able to direct operations from his prison cell using a secret mobile phone.Ishmael Brown was one of five members of a ring that sold more than 40 guns in London. He sought deactivated weapons from his cell in HMP Rochester and his girlfriend Caitlin Adams collected and carried them. Brown&
  
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• Fireworks deaths at Lake District wedding ruled accidental

  22-01-2016 21:26
  
  Inquest rules Andrew Coates and Polly Connor killed by carbon dioxide buildup after unexplained blast in fireworks storeA fireworks display organiser and his assistant were killed accidentally as they prepared a display to celebrate a business partner’s wedding, an inquest jury has concluded.The jury found that Andrew Coates, 41, and Polly Connor, 46, died after an “unexplained” explosion in a fireworks store that then filled up with a fatal level of carbon dioxide. Continue re
  
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• Umunna to warn Labour over minority ethnic voter switch to Tories

  22-01-2016 21:00
  
  Former shadow business secretary will say in Unison speech alarm bells should be ringing after Conservative minority ethnic support doubled in 2015 electionChuka Umunna will tell Labour on Saturday that it cannot afford to be complacent about its minority ethnic voters, saying “alarm bells should be ringing” about how many are switching to the Conservatives.Although Labour still has a large lead among the black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) electorate, Umunna, the former shadow b
  
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• Top Gear: should the BBC be putting the brakes on Chris Evans?

  22-01-2016 20:50
  
  Jeremy Clarkson’s replacement on the BBC’s most lucrative programme has been taking a bigger role in the show’s creative directionIts critics said it had become too closely associated with its motormouth star. But after Jeremy Clarkson and his entourage left Top Gear, his on-air replacement has emerged as even more firmly in the driving seat.Chris Evans has become the chief creative force at the BBC2 programme following the departure of two programme insiders, executive produce
  
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• Panel about rape abruptly cancelled at porn expo amid James Deen allegations

  22-01-2016 20:50
  
  Rape and abuse accusations against the porn star have rocked the multibillion-dollar sex industry and the annual Adult Entertainment Expo in Las VegasJames Deen was once the poster boy of porn, a likable sex performer with boy-next-door looks who cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of the 2015 Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas, a mecca of excess.This year the 29-year-old actor, whose real name is Bryan Matthew Sevilla, is once again center stage, although this time he is mired in rape and
  
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• South African district offers student grants to girls who remain virgins

  22-01-2016 20:47
  
  Women’s groups attack plan to offer bursaries to girls who remain celibate throughout university – and will face regular virginity testsA South African region has launched a grant scheme for girls who remain virgins throughout their university studies, triggering outrage among human rights groups.The bursary offered in Uthukela, in the south-east of the country near Durban, is the brainchild of the municipality’s female mayor, Dudu Mazibujo. Continue reading...
  
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• Lithuanian gangmasters jailed in modern slavery and trafficking case

  22-01-2016 20:45
  
  Judge says two fellow countrymen, one of whom has learning difficulties, treated with ‘grossly degrading and cruel behaviour’Two Lithuanian men have been found guilty of trafficking two of their fellow countrymen, taking all but £20 of the wages they received over several months for working in a food factories that supply many leading supermarkets.The victims, Edvinas and Edgarus Subatkis, were found still wearing the same clothes in which they had made their journey to Britain
  
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• Roberto Mancini and Internazionale accept apology from Maurizio Sarri

  22-01-2016 20:44
  
  • Napoli coach used ‘highly insulting’ language during a Coppa Italia match
  • Sarri was hit with two-game ban but no mention of homophobic insultsRoberto Mancini and Internazionale have accepted Maurizio Sarri’s apologies after the Napoli coach used “highly insulting” language during a Coppa Italia match.Sarri has been handed a two-match ban and fined for both confronting Inter boss Mancini and being “disrespectful” towards the fourth official
  
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• Airstrikes on Yemen kill dozens and destroy MSF ambulance

  22-01-2016 20:43
  
  French charity confirms driver was killed, while Houthi rebels say Saudi-led bombings left 26 dead in Dahyan, with another 22 reportedly killed in capitalThe Saudi-led military coalition has carried out a series of airstrikes across Yemen, killing dozens and hitting an ambulance of a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital, according to Yemeni officials, rebel media and a statement by the charity.The charity, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said the ambulance driver had been kille
  
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• Plans to give Labour's NEC a greater say over policy are 'political and divisive'

  22-01-2016 20:29
  
  Young Labour delegate says calls to give committee a greater say over policy and recruitment of staff will centralise power and cut party off from wider publicA row is brewing before Labour’s national executive committee meets next week after a series of proposals tabled by a leading supporter of Jeremy Corbyn were described as “political and divisive”.The NEC is to examine calls to give it a greater say over policy making – at the expense of the national policy forum &nd
  
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• Hamburg v Bayern Munich: Bundesliga – live!

  22-01-2016 20:25
  
  Bayern are eight points clear of Dortmund – and they travel north to play mid-table Hamburg in their first game back after the winter break. Join Tim HillEmail [email protected] or tweet @timmyhilleh7.25pm GMTAnd here’s a piece on Pep, and why his tenure in Bavaria should be considered a success: Related: Why Pep Guardiola's time at Bayern Munich can only be seen as a success7.24pm GMTWe’re about five minutes away from kick-off. TV just showing some highlights of Bayern&
  
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• Delivering aid should not need Syrian regime's approval, says MP

  22-01-2016 20:18
  
  Labour’s Jo Cox says UK should impress on UN agencies delivering aid that they only need notify Damascus rather than seek permissionThe UK should press the United Nations to take a tougher stance with the Syrian government over the delivery of aid to besieged towns, a Labour MP has said.Jo Cox, MP for Batley and Spen, said the government should assert that UN aid agencies need only notify the Syrian government of aid delivery plans, rather than seek its permission. Continue reading...
  
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• Winter storm threatens US east coast with historic blizzard – live updates

  22-01-2016 20:14
  
  Washington DC in bull’s eye of potentially record-breaking storm
  Storm bearing down on Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York CityCoastal flood warnings and states of emergency in effect 7.03pm GMTThe storm has already blanketed Nashville in snow.
  Shout out to @USPS !! Bravin' #blizzard2016 like champs. pic.twitter.com/FRE7kxmHru 7.02pm GMTEdward Snowden, the computer analyst whistleblower, chimed in on Twitter with his own thoughts on the impending storm.Soon, even D.C. will be Snowden. pic
  
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• Charlotte Rampling finds herself outnumbered in Oscars diversity row

  22-01-2016 20:06
  
  British actor nominated for best actress award said controversy over lack of black nominees was ‘racist to white people’First the actor Jada Pinkett-Smith said she wouldn’t be going in protest. Then director Spike Lee announced he would also be staying away. They were followed by a chorus line of actors and entertainers, all expressing dismay that for the second successive year, the Oscars Academy had failed to nominate a single non-white actor.
  But on Friday, the British actor
  
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• Birds stop migrating as rubbish dumps provide winter feeding grounds

  22-01-2016 20:00
  
  For some birds, feeding at waste sites seems preferable to long migrations to warmer climates, but researchers warn of risks to ecosystems and health It ranks as one of the more uncomfortable impacts that humans have on wildlife. Massive rubbish dumps and sprawling landfills have led some birds to give up on migration. Instead of flying thousands of miles in search of food, they make the waste sites their winter feeding grounds.Researchers in Germany used miniature GPS tags to track the migratio
  
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• Judge authorises abortion for woman who suffered brain damage in attack

  22-01-2016 19:55
  
  A judge has given doctors permission to perform an abortion on a woman who suffered brain damage as a result of being attacked.
  
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• Rise in space junk could provoke armed conflict say scientists

  22-01-2016 19:54
  
  Fragments of spent rockets and other debris orbiting the Earth pose ‘special political danger’ of damage to satellites being misconstrued as attackThe steady rise in space junk that is floating around the planet could provoke a political row and even armed conflict, according to scientists, who warn that even tiny pieces of debris have enough energy to damage or destroy military satellites.Researchers said fragments of spent rockets and other hurtling hardware posed a “special
  
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• Ian Rankin: 'Rebus has elements of a maverick American PI'

  22-01-2016 19:51
  
  About to embark on an American books tour, the author of the Rebus novels explains why crime fiction is a means of exploring the dark side of the modern worldIt is an inauspicious-looking place, the Oxford Bar, in Edinburgh’s New Town. It sits on a cobbled side street, its plain white façade and cast iron sign vaguely imposing. Inside, it’s the kind of pub where, almost a decade on from Britain’s smoking ban, there remains a metaphorical fug.
  Yet several times a week vis
  
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• Britain considers naming all banned foreigners in wake of Litvinenko inquiry

  22-01-2016 19:49
  
  Ministers propose list of visa bans amid criticism of low-key response to findings that Putin probably approved murderThe government’s anti-corruption tsar, Eric Pickles, is considering naming any foreign citizen subject to a UK visa ban as a response to the inquiry into the 2006 murder of Alexander Litvinenko. The home secretary, Theresa May, was criticised on Thursday for failing to impose tougher economic sanctions against agents of Vladimir Putin’s regime in the wake of the inqui
  
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• Embrace feminism to improve decision-making, says Justin Trudeau

  22-01-2016 19:42
  
  Canadian prime minister uses platform at World Economic Forum in Davos to stress importance of gender equality in politics and businessJustin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, has called on men and women to embrace feminism to improve decision-making in politics and business.Speaking on a platform discussing gender parity at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Friday, Trudeau said: “We shouldn’t be afraid to use the word feminist. Men and women should use it to describe themse
  
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• Britain's Got Talent boss Simon Cowell unconcerned about arrival of The Voice

  22-01-2016 19:37
  Britain's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell has said he is unimpressed by The Voice and does not care where it sits on the ITV schedule.
  
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• Brussels considers plan to give UK 'emergency brake' on immigration

  22-01-2016 19:36
  
  Alternative to David Cameron’s proposal to stop EU migrants claiming in-work benefits merits further discussion, Czech PM saysA plan to allow the UK to use an “emergency brake” to curb immigration from the EU is being seriously considered by Brussels, the Czech prime minister said on Friday.At a joint press conference following talks with David Cameron in Prague, Bohuslav Sobotka said this was one of several ideas the pair had discussed as alternatives to Cameron’s propos
  
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• Police release pictures of homeless man found dead in burning tent

  22-01-2016 19:35
  
  Daniel Smith suffered multiple injuries and was found under railway arches near Salford Central station in Greater ManchesterPolice investigating the murder of a homeless man whose body was found in a burning tent have released pictures of him as flowers and tributes were laid at the scene in Greater Manchester.Daniel Smith, 23, was found at 1.20am on Wednesday under railway arches in Ordsall, near Salford Central station. He had suffered multiple injuries and his tent had been deliberately set
  
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• ‘Airbnbs for dining’ give Italian female chefs chance to shine

  22-01-2016 19:35
  
  Rise of social eating networks in Italy presenting women with opportunity to monetise skills not widely utilised in male-dominated restaurant kitchen cultureDuring the day, Claudia Proietti works in the insurance industry. But at night, she is dreaming up menus. Next week, the 59-year-old plans to serve a 16-people carnival-inspired feast that uses “all the colours of nature”, beginning with a velvety orange pumpkin soup with ricotta crostini and ending with a rich chocolate semifred
  
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