General news

• Police Hunt Fugitive After Fire Attack On Woman

  01-03-2016 23:52
  
  Officers fear Stephen Archer, 50, may be carrying several petrol bombs after attacking a woman reported to be his sister. Police were called to an address in Surbiton Road, Newton Heath, shortly before 9.45am on Monday. Superintendent Arif Nawaz said: "This is a horrific incident and I cannot imagine what the victim is going through.
  
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• Counter-terrorism scheme 'should be independently reviewed'

  01-03-2016 20:10
  The controversial Prevent counter-terrorism scheme is "not transparent" and should be independently reviewed, the terror laws watchdog has said.
  
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• Call for permanent tribunal to support child sex abuse victims

  01-03-2016 20:10
  A Government-funded "popular tribunal" should be established on a permanent basis to take evidence from survivors of child sexual abuse, a report has recommended.
  
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• Conspiracy Over Brexit Ministers 'Wide Of Mark'

  01-03-2016 20:06
  
  Whitehall's top civil servant has insisted there is no "conspiracy" in restricting access to information about the EU referendum to ministers backing the Out campaign. Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood gave a robust defence of his ruling when quizzed at Westminster by MPs, some of whom are prominent eurosceptics. His appearance before a Commons select committee came amid anger among eurosceptics over a ban on government members, pushing to quit Brussels, being shown some official papers.
  
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• Cameron's morning after - how Brexit divorce gets messy

  01-03-2016 20:00
  
  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - If Britons vote to leave the European Union in their June 23 referendum, Prime Minister David Cameron can effectively file the divorce papers in person to fellow EU leaders the next morning in Brussels.
  
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• Apple iPhone fight moves to Congress

  01-03-2016 19:52
  The high-stakes legal fight between Apple and the US Justice Department over a locked iPhone is moving from the courts to Congress.
  
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• Pro-Brexit ministers to be given 'limousine service' by civil servants

  01-03-2016 19:24
  
  Ministers campaigning to leave the European Union will continue to receive a "limousine service" from their officials despite restrictions on information they can receive, the head of the Civil Service has said.
  
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• Northern Ireland murder case over 1998 Omagh bombing collapses

  01-03-2016 19:21
  By Ian Graham BELFAST (Reuters) - Prosecutors in Northern Ireland withdrew their case on Tuesday against a man they believed was responsible for 29 murders in the 1998 Omagh bombing - the worst attack in decades of violence in the province. On August 15, 1998, a car bomb exploded on a busy shopping street in the town just months after a peace deal to end sectarian violence, provoking domestic and international outrage. The Public Prosecution Service announced in court that charges against Seamus
  
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• Anguish for Omagh victims' families as case against Seamus Daly collapses

  01-03-2016 18:24
  
  A convicted dissident republican who had been accused of murdering 29 people in the Omagh bomb attack has walked free from prison after the prosecution dramatically collapsed.
  
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• Didcot Boss Speaks Of Devastation Over Collapse

  01-03-2016 18:20
  
  The boss of the firm demolishing Didcot power station, which collapsed last week killing one worker and trapping three, has spoken of the "devastation" the accident has caused. Coleman & Company held a four-minute silence as a mark of respect, one week on from the tragedy in Oxfordshire. Mark Coleman, head of Coleman & Company, said in a statement: "It is now one week since this terrible accident and I would like to express our deep sorrow at this heartbreaking time for our colleagues, a
  
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• Britain floats revised bill for broad surveillance powers

  01-03-2016 18:10
  
  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain floated revised legislation on Tuesday that would grant authorities wide-ranging surveillance powers including the right to see which websites people visit, saying the modified bill addressed concerns about threats to privacy.
  
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• Focus on Earth's 'transit zone' to find messages from aliens, scientists say

  01-03-2016 17:59
  Scientists have come up with a new plan to avoid "missed calls" from extraterrestrials trying to contact Earth.
  
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• Plastic bag charge blamed as packaging firm enters into administration

  01-03-2016 17:48
  
  A packaging firm has gone out of business, blaming the introduction of a 5p charge for plastic bags in England.
  
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• Barclays takes a beating amid torrid time for banks

  01-03-2016 17:33
  
  Banking giant Barclays saw its shares take a hammering after it reported a slide in annual profits and slashed shareholder dividend payments for the next two years.
  
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• 'Do not panic' about asteroid that will come close to Earth, scientists say

  01-03-2016 17:24
  
  Scientists are urging people not to panic after learning a 100ft-wide asteroid could be about to brush by the Earth at a distance close enough to threaten orbiting satellites.
  
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• Discovery of grey hair gene could lead to new treatments

  01-03-2016 17:00
  A gene for grey hair has been identified, potentially paving the way to rejuvenating treatments that can make people look years younger.
  
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• Omagh: Seamus Daly Freed As Charges Dropped

  01-03-2016 16:49
  
  Murder charges against the only remaining Omagh bombing suspect have been dropped by prosecutors. Seamus Daly was charged with killing 29 people, including a pregnant woman carrying twins, in the 1998 car bomb attack by the Real IRA. The case against the 45-year-old, who had been in custody since April 2014, appeared to collapse last month when the prosecution's star witness contradicted himself during a pre-trial hearing.
  
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• 'Fireball' fears amid suspected meteor shower

  01-03-2016 16:46
  
  A meteor that lit up the sky triggered a series of calls to police from people claiming it shook their homes.
  
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• British socialite to face Epstein accuser's defamation lawsuit

  01-03-2016 16:38
  
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - A woman who claimed that New York financier Jeffrey Epstein trafficked her for sex when she was a teenager may pursue a lawsuit accusing British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell of defamation for calling her allegations lies, a U.S. judge ruled.
  
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• Disappointment for some as pupils allocated places at secondary school

  01-03-2016 16:35
  More than a third of children in some parts of England have not been allocated their first choice of secondary school for the autumn, according to a sample of councils.
  
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• Night Tube Moves A Step Closer After Pay Deal

  01-03-2016 16:23
  
  All-night London Underground (LU) services have moved a step closer after RMT union members voted overwhelmingly in favour of a deal on pay and conditions. The result of the vote was announced by the union's leadership following months of wrangling with Tube bosses, which forced a delay to the introduction of night-time trains in September. The deal removes the threat of industrial action by the RMT, but the drivers' union, Aslef, is yet to confirm its support.
  
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• Freedom of Information law to stay unchanged after review

  01-03-2016 16:23
  Ministers are facing demands to reveal the bill for the review of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act after they appeared to drop many of its recommendations.
  
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• Seamus Daly released from prison after Omagh bomb attack charges dropped

  01-03-2016 16:08
  
  Bricklayer Seamus Daly has been released from prison after his prosecution for the Omagh bomb attack collapsed before it reached trial.
  
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• Remember the night you spent with Marilyn? One day you could, says scientist

  01-03-2016 16:03
  A British scientist who helped uncover the foundation of memory in the 1970s has spoken of the future possibility of visiting a "synapse surgeon" who could implant his brain with fond memories of spending the night with Marilyn Monroe.
  
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• Tunisia Attack: Families 'Likely' To Sue Thomson

  01-03-2016 15:54
  
  Families of the 30 Britons killed during the Tunisia terror attack last summer are expected to pursue compensation from Thomson Holidays as a result of inquests into the deaths. During a preliminary hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, a representative of the relatives said there were "likely to be civil claims" in the future. They want the coroner, Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith, to call for new measures which would highlight the risk of terrorism around the world to would-be travellers, such
  
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• Pro-Brexit ministers 'have got off lightly', says Lord Mandelson

  01-03-2016 15:31
  
  Brexit-backing ministers complaining about restricted access to Government papers should consider themselves lucky not to be facing the sack, former business secretary Lord Mandelson said.
  
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• Chokehold Robbers Attack Man In CCTV Footage

  01-03-2016 15:06
  
  A man was held in a chokehold and grappled to the ground as he was mugged by two attackers in the affluent London borough of Kensington and Chelsea. CCTV footage shows the victim being grabbed around the neck from behind by one of the assailants, while an accomplice snatches his mobile phone from his hand and rifles through his pockets to steal his wallet. Officers have just released the footage in the hope of finding the attackers.
  
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• Revised spying law proposals extend police powers to access internet records

  01-03-2016 15:03
  Powers for police to access internet records and hack into suspects' smartphones and computers are to be extended under revamped spying laws.
  
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• Elections watchdog to extend scope of Conservative Party campaign spending probe

  01-03-2016 15:03
  The elections watchdog has announced it is extending the scope of an in vestigation into Conservative Party campaign spending.
  
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• Drinkers warned as deaths from alcohol-linked diseases rise

  01-03-2016 15:03
  
  Deaths from conditions linked to alcohol - such as bowel and breast cancer - have risen slightly, figures show.
  
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• Bristol company introduces 'period policy' for female employees

  01-03-2016 15:01
  A firm is believed to be the first in the UK to introduce a "period policy" to try and make what can be a monthly trauma for women a bit easier for its female staff.
  
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• 'Nobel' prize of neuroscience awarded to three British researchers

  01-03-2016 15:00
  
  Three British researchers have received one of the world's most coveted science prizes for work that uncovered the foundation of memory.
  
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• Hit-And-Run: Dad Watched Son Being Hit By Car

  01-03-2016 14:39
  
  Shaking his head, the boy's father Javid Hossain said: "We said our prayers and my son was in front of me, just a few steps away. Shah died in hospital a short time after the incident, which happened on Moss Street West at the junction with Mowbray Street in Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester. Shah's mother, Kanwal Hossain, was also at the mosque at the time.
  
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• Migrants stand firm in Calais as demolition teams continue work at the Jungle

  01-03-2016 14:24
  
  Migrants and refugees staged rooftop protests on their ramshackle homes in the Calais camp known as the Jungle in an apparent last-ditch bid to halt demolition teams from dismantling their shelters.
  
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• Ofcom Should Regulate BBC, Report Recommends

  01-03-2016 14:22
  
  Media watchdog Ofcom should have sole responsibility for regulating the BBC, an independent report has concluded. At present, the broadcaster is overseen by the BBC Executive, which takes charge day-to-day, and the BBC Trust, which holds the executive to account and ensures the licence fee is spent responsibly. In a statement, he said: "The BBC Trust model is flawed.
  
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• Barclays Shares Suspended After Price Plunge

  01-03-2016 14:11
  
  Barclays shares have fallen sharply - and were briefly suspended - after it reported a fall in annual profits and warned of lower dividends over the next couple of years. The bank said pre-tax profits for 2015 were 8% lower than the year before at £2.1bn. The bank delivered a blow for investors as it said it intended to pay a dividend of 3p for this year and next, down from the 6.5p payout for 2015, as it seeks to beef up its capital strength.
  
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• Greggs To Shut Bakeries And Axe 355 Jobs

  01-03-2016 12:39
  
  Greggs is cutting up to 355 jobs as it shuts three of its bakery sites under a £100m restructuring plan. Greggs operates 12 bakery sites but said that "unfortunately not all are suitable for long-term investment due to their location and size". Shares rose 14% following the announcement which came as Greggs reported a 25% rise in profits before exceptional items to £73m for the year to 2 January.
  
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• Man Attempts To Kidnap Teenager In Underpass

  01-03-2016 12:27
  
  The man approached the young woman – in her late teens – as she walked through an underpass in Burnham, Buckinghamshire, at 9.30am on Monday. "Initially the offender tried to engage her in conversation and walked alongside her," a Thames Valley Police spokesman said. Detective Constable Stuart Malham said: "We want to speak to anyone in the area at the time of the incident, in particular several people who passed the victim as she was being held by the man.
  
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• Barclays confirms £500,000 pay-out to former boss amid falling profits

  01-03-2016 12:03
  Barclays confirmed it awarded sacked boss Antony Jenkins a half-a-million-pound bonus as it revealed falling profits after more mis-selling charges.
  
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• Law firm issues final warning to Government over air pollution plans

  01-03-2016 11:29
  The Government must take steps to tackle air pollution within days or face further legal action, it has been warned.
  
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• Kidnap probe after man bids to snatch woman from underpass

  01-03-2016 11:29
  Police are treating an attempt by a man to grab a teenager in an underpass as kidnap.
  
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• Boy, 17, charged with murder of man found dead at home

  01-03-2016 11:29
  A 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a 52-year-old man.
  
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• Astronaut Tim Peake wishes Wales a happy St David's Day

  01-03-2016 11:07
  Astronaut Tim Peake has wished people in Wales a happy St David's Day - from on board the International Space Station.
  
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• Omagh Bombing: Murder Charges May Be Dropped

  01-03-2016 11:05
  
  Charges are expected to be dropped against the remaining Omagh bombing suspect, Sky sources understand.
  
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• Britain brings forward electricity supply auction to avoid power crunch

  01-03-2016 10:39
  By Nina Chestney LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will bring forward a scheme to encourage power companies to supply electricity at peak times by a year in a bid to avert a looming electricity supply crunch, the government said on Tuesday. Britain may face electricity supply shortages over the next few winters as coal plants close due to weak economic conditions and investors say there is little incentive to build new power plants. Under the government's capacity market scheme, the owners of power pla
  
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• Three Arrested Over Boy's Hit-And-Run Death

  01-03-2016 09:55
  
  The suspects, including a 19-year-old, were detained on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The imam of Mosque Hamza, Shayful Islam, told the Manchester Evening News the "whole community is in shock and praying for the family".
  
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• Barclays Annual Profits Fall 8% To £2.1bn

  01-03-2016 09:45
  
  Barclays has reported an 8% fall in annual profits to £2.1bn after taking a £1.45bn hit over the payment protection insurance (PPI) mis-selling scandal in the last quarter. It means the bank set aside a total of £2.2bn for PPI last year, up from £1.27bn the year before and comes after a slower-than-expected decline in complaints over the affair in the second half of 2015. Barclays has now provided for a total of £7.4bn over the scandal and used up £5.3bn of th
  
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• Hong Kong bookseller denies kidnapped by China, says to renounce UK citizenship

  01-03-2016 09:37
  By James Pomfret and Farah Master HONG KONG (Reuters) - A Hong Kong bookseller and British passport holder who disappeared last year said he had not been kidnapped by Chinese authorities, as many suspect, but had sneaked into China illegally and that he would renounce his British citizenship. Lee Bo, a dual British and Hong Kong citizen, and four associates went missing over the past half year, sparking fears that Chinese authorities had abducted some of the men and taken them back to China.
  
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• Three held over mosque boy's hit-and-run death

  01-03-2016 09:16
  
  Three men have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after an 11-year-old boy was killed in a hit-and-run outside a mosque.
  
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• Dead Baby Found Hidden Near Oxford Footpath

  01-03-2016 09:04
  
  "This investigation is in its very early stages and officers are working to trace the mother of the child as she may require urgent medical attention," said Detective Inspector Jim Holmes, of Thames Valley Police. "If you are the mother of the baby, please come forward so that we can ensure any appropriate help needed can be provided.
  
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