General news

• NHS Prepares For 48-Hour Junior Doctors Strike

  08-03-2016 23:57
  
  Junior doctors in England will begin their first 48-hour strike within hours as part of their ongoing protest over threats to impose a new contract. The 38,000 members of the British Medical Association will provide emergency care only from 8am on Wednesday. Anne Rainsberry, national incident director for NHS England, said hospitals will make sure patients are safe.
  
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• Train services face disruption with wind and rain predicted

  08-03-2016 22:35
  Wind and rain is set to delay Wednesday's travel, with parts of the UK covered by weather warnings.
  
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• JK Rowling accused over new writings on history of magic

  08-03-2016 21:08
  JK Rowling has been accused of "cultural appropriation" in the first part of her new series of writings on the history of magic in North America.
  
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• 5,000 operations cancelled ahead of 48-hour junior doctors' strike

  08-03-2016 21:08
  More than 5,000 operations and procedures across England have been cancelled ahead of a 4 8-hour strike by junior doctors.
  
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• British soldier will not be charged over 1972 shooting, prosecutors say

  08-03-2016 20:58
  A British soldier who shot a teenager dead in Londonderry in 1972 will not be prosecuted, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said.
  
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• 116 sheep die in worst case of sheep-worrying 'in living memory'

  08-03-2016 20:49
  More than 100 sheep have died in what has been described as the UK's worst case of sheep-worrying in living memory.
  
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• 'Back To Square One' In Claudia Lawrence Inquiry

  08-03-2016 20:31
  
  The family of Claudia Lawrence have spoken of their frustration after the CPS decided not to charge four men being investigated over her disappearance. Ms Lawrence has been missing for seven years this month having disappeared on 18 March 2009. A spokesman for dad Peter Lawrence said: "I know Peter, the family and Claudia's friends will be feeling that the search for what has happened to Claudia seems to have turned out to be yet another false dawn in an already forlorn situation.
  
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• Stem Cell Shortage Linked To Miscarriages

  08-03-2016 20:26
  
  UK scientists are claiming a "breakthrough" into the cause of repeated miscarriages. University of Warwick researchers say a lack of stem cells in the womb lining is the reason for recurrent loss of pregnancy. One in five women experience a miscarriage, while about one in 100 suffer the loss of three or more consecutive pregnancies.
  
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• 'Murdered Child May Have Bitten Through Tongue'

  08-03-2016 19:20
  
  Ayeeshia Jane Smith's mother Kathryn Smith and stepfather Matthew Rigby, aged 22, are on trial accused of murdering the "bright, happy little girl". It was the kind of traumatic compression injury suffered by victims in serious car crashes, said medical expert Dr Kathryn Ward at Birmingham Crown Court.
  
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• Widow of Pc Dave Phillips weeps as court is shown officer's final moments

  08-03-2016 18:40
  A police officer's widow wept as a court was shown the final moments of her husband's life before he was allegedly murdered by a teenage car thief in a "cowardly and merciless act".
  
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• Sunderland Chief Executive Byrne resigns over Johnson

  08-03-2016 18:12
  Sunderland Chief Executive Margaret Byrne has resigned over her role in the decision to allow Adam Johnson to continue playing for the team despite confessing to kissing a 15-year-old schoolgirl, the English Premier League club said on Tuesday. The 28-year-old England international was sacked by Sunderland last month after pleading guilty to two child sex offences. "The Board of Sunderland AFC has today accepted the resignation of Margaret Byrne," the club said in a statement.
  
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• Dog Walker Pulled From Bog After Seven Hours

  08-03-2016 18:10
  
  Aerial footage has been released of a man being found by a police helicopter after he became stuck in a muddy bog in a field. Martin Kay, 67, had been stranded for almost seven hours with his dog remaining close by, before he was rescued by officers. Mr Kay had taken his black Labrador Holly Blue out for a walk in Thornham Parva, Suffolk, at around 2.30pm on 18 January.
  
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• Sunderland 'so very sorry' over Adam Johnson case as chief executive quits

  08-03-2016 18:03
  
  Sunderland AFC has said it was "so very sorry" for letting down a 15-year-old fan who was groomed and sexually exploited by ex-player Adam Johnson.
  
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• Hatton Garden Gang Member's Court Notes Revealed

  08-03-2016 17:46
  
  One of the Hatton Garden heist gang knew nothing about the mystery raider Basil until the start of the trial months later. Plumber Hugh Doyle, convicted of laundering the proceeds, took notes during the prosecutor's opening speech. Basil had a key and let the others into the building where they drilled through the wall and stole jewellery worth £14m, gold and cash, most of it still missing.
  
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• Sunderland Chief Quits After Johnson Sex Trial

  08-03-2016 17:36
  
  Sunderland chief executive Margaret Byrne has resigned with immediate effect in the wake of the Adam Johnson child sex case. Her departure follows criticism of the football club over the decision to allow the disgraced player to continue to represent the club after he was charged. Initially suspended, Johnson was allowed back into the Premier League side and played for the team up until his trial, when he pleaded guilty to to grooming and a sexual activity with a child.
  
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• Public sector pay rise of 1% denounced as 'miserly'

  08-03-2016 17:34
  The Government has come under attack after announcing a "miserly" 1% pay rise for public sector workers, including doctors and nurses.
  
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• Bank governor Mark Carney rebuked by Eurosceptics over Brexit 'risk' claim

  08-03-2016 17:34
  
  The governor of the Bank of England has clashed with Eurosceptics after he delivered a warning that leaving the EU is the "biggest domestic risk" Britain faces.
  
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• Unions call for talks after energy giant npower confirms thousands of job losses

  08-03-2016 17:27
  
  Unions are seeking urgent talks with npower after the energy giant confirmed plans to axe 2,400 jobs amid heavy financial losses.
  
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• Body In Burnt-Out Car: Police Seek Cyclist

  08-03-2016 17:07
  
  Police investigating the murder of a man whose body was found in a burnt-out car have released CCTV of a cyclist they want to speak to. The body of 30-year-old Vilson Meshi was discovered in a grey Audi A4 in Pincey Mead, Pitsea, Essex, shortly before 5pm on Saturday, 27 February. Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Jennings said: "Our enquiries have found this person was captured on CCTV in Pincey Mead in the early hours of the morning before Vilson's body was discovered in his Audi.
  
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• Thomas Cook Scraps Summer Holidays To Sharm

  08-03-2016 17:01
  
  Thomas Cook has extended its cancellation of trips to the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh until the end of October because of security fears. The travel operator had previously stopped flights following the downing of a Russian passenger jet last year - covering holidays up to and including 25 May - following Foreign Office advice. Customers who had been due to travel to Sharm el Sheikh up to and including that date are able to cancel or amend their holiday to another destination for free, th
  
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• Songbird's syntax demonstration rewrites book on communication

  08-03-2016 17:00
  Language rules for combining words to generate novel meanings - known as syntax - can no longer be thought of as uniquely human.
  
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• 'Climate change led to icthyosaurs' demise'

  08-03-2016 17:00
  Ichthyosaurs, fearsome marine reptiles from the time of the dinosaurs, became extinct because they failed to adapt quickly enough to climate change, new research has shown.
  
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• Thomas Cook cancels Sharm el-Sheikh bookings until November

  08-03-2016 16:54
  Travel firm Thomas Cook has cancelled all bookings to Sharm el-Sheikh until at least November.
  
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• Brian McFadden joins Keith Duffy for Boyzlife show but open to Westlife reunion

  08-03-2016 16:35
  Singer Brian McFadden has said he would "never say no" to a Westlife reunion as he joins forces with former Boyzone star Keith Duffy for a two-man nationwide tour.
  
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• Thomas Cook extends Sharm el Sheikh holiday cancellations to October

  08-03-2016 16:23
  Holiday company Thomas Cook extended its cancellation of holidays to the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh until Oct. 31, meaning the destination will have been closed to British arrivals for almost a year. Britain advised against flying to the airport last November after the suspected bombing of a Russian passenger jet in October 2015 killed 224 people shortly after it had taken off from Sharm el Sheikh airport. British tourists at the resort were evacuated after the crash.
  
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• Janet Jackson Cancels UK And European Tour

  08-03-2016 15:32
  
  Janet Jackson has postponed her UK tour, which was due to start at the end of this month, due to "scheduling" issues. The singer was due to bring Unbreakable to Birmingham on 30 March, before visiting London, Glasgow and Manchester. But ticketholders received an email from Ticketmaster which read: "The event organisers have been in touch to let us know that, due to scheduling difficulties, they've had to postpone the Unbreakable tour.
  
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• Stephen Hawking hails inspirational maths teacher

  08-03-2016 15:00
  Stephen Hawking has told how a teacher opened his eyes to the "blueprint of the universe itself - mathematics".
  
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• Thomas Cook Extends Sharm Trips Cancellation

  08-03-2016 14:47
  
  Thomas Cook has extended its cancellation of trips to the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh until the end of October. The travel operator had previously stopped flights following the downing of a Russian passenger  jet last year, covering holidays up to and including 25 May - following Foreign Office advice. Customers due to travel to Sharm el Sheikh up to and including that date are able to cancel or amend their holiday to another destination free of charge, the travel operator said.
  
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• Rocket salad, anyone? Veg study looks at greens on red planet

  08-03-2016 14:46
  Scientists have taken a leaf out of The Martian script by showing how easy it would be to grow your own veg on the Red Planet.
  
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• Fussy Galore: Westminster Bans Bond From Ben

  08-03-2016 14:46
  
  Britain's greatest secret agent has defeated Russian spies armed with shoe-based daggers, megalomaniacs in underwater lairs and cat-stroking madmen in volcanoes. But James Bond may now have finally met his match: the bureaucrats at Westminster City Council. A plan to project the image of Daniel Craig on to the side of the Elizabeth Tower, that houses Big Ben, has been rejected by officials.
  
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• Afghan crash men 'would have had to be naughty to induce weightlessness'

  08-03-2016 14:46
  Five servicemen killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan could only have attempted a feeling of weightlessness onboard moments before hitting the ground if they had been "actively naughty", an inquest heard.
  
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• Mother Jailed For Murdering 'Besotted' Husband

  08-03-2016 14:45
  
  Sharon Edwards, 42, murdered David Edwards, 51, at their home in Lancashire following a "turbulent" relationship in which he was beaten and belittled. Friends of Mr Edwards warned the "besotted" solicitor to leave domineering and possessive Edwards after he began turning up to work with black eyes, scratches and bite marks. Mr Edwards was found dead in bed at the couple's home in Chorley in 2015 soon after they returned from a holiday in Majorca.
  
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• PC Dave Phillips' Injuries Were 'Catastrophic'

  08-03-2016 14:39
  
  A police officer suffered "catastrophic" injuries after being struck by a stolen vehicle being driven by a teenager in a "determined and ruthless attempt to avoid being apprehended", a court has heard. Merseyside Police Constable Dave Phillips, 34, was trying to stop 18-year-old Clayton Williams, who had stolen a Mitsubishi 4x4 in the early hours of 5 October last year in the Wirral, a jury was told. Opening the case for the prosecution, Ian Unsworth QC told the court Williams had driven for sev
  
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• UK's top earners are biggest drinkers, figures show

  08-03-2016 14:30
  
  Nearly one in five of Britain's highest earners drink at least five days a week, according to new figures.
  
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• First BoE hike delayed until 2017, third move in two months: Reuters poll

  08-03-2016 14:29
  By Jonathan Cable LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England won't raise rates until early 2017, economists polled by Reuters said, pushing back expectations for the third time this year, which would mean eight years of record-low borrowing costs. Many of the economists polled this week said all bets on where rates were headed would be off if Britain votes on June 23 to leave the European Union. In a Jan. 4 poll economists thought the first hike would be in April-June but the latest survey said it w
  
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• Warmer Weather Due After Cold Start To Spring

  08-03-2016 14:23
  
  After a cold start to the meteorological Spring, milder conditions are expected towards this weekend, with temperatures possibly reaching 15C (59F). So far, March has felt chilly - temperatures in Central England were lower last week than a couple of the winter months we've just had. But as we approach this weekend it looks like the Azores High will start to move towards the UK and Ireland, so as a result the jet stream should move back north and allow for the winds to come in from the southwest
  
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• World champion Willis loses Rio slot due to after cancer treatment

  08-03-2016 14:22
  Double world champion yachtsman Elliot Willis has lost his slot in Britain's Rio Olympic sailing squad due to ongoing treatment for bowel cancer, TeamGB said in a statement on Tuesday. "Due to Elliot’s ongoing treatment for bowel cancer, as a two person crew, they are unfortunately unable to follow the combined training programme required to maximise their chances of success in Rio," the statement said. "Hopefully this doesn’t mark the end of Elliot’s Olympic journey and we loo
  
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• Boris: EU Gag On Staff 'Rescinded, Kaduuk'

  08-03-2016 14:19
  
  Boris Johnson has said he has "wiped from history" a 'back Boris on the EU or keep your views to yourself' edict on City Hall staff. The gagging order sent by Mr Johnson's chief of staff Sir Edward Lister said workers should either "advocate the Mayor's position or otherwise not openly to contradict it". The London Mayor said he had only seen the order on Monday night and that it had been "countermanded, rescinded, was kaduuk" and an "ex-edict" that had been "wiped from history".
  
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• Adam Johnson's sister sets up Facebook appeal page for shamed footballer

  08-03-2016 14:15
  The sister of disgraced footballer Adam Johnson has set up a Facebook page to support a legal appeal.
  
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• Three teenagers left in 'critical condition' after taking legal highs

  08-03-2016 14:05
  Three schoolboys were taken to hospital in a critical condition after taking so-called legal highs, police said.
  
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• Licence to thrill revoked as plan to project 007's image onto Big Ben rejected

  08-03-2016 14:05
  James Bond has been thwarted by council officials, after they rejected John Bercow-sanctioned plans to project 007's image onto Big Ben.
  
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• "Bullying" bride Sharon Edwards gets life for murder of lawyer husband

  08-03-2016 14:05
  A "bullying and violent" new bride has been jailed for life after she was convicted of murdering her solicitor husband.
  
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• Leaving the EU 'biggest domestic risk to financial stability', Mark Carney warns

  08-03-2016 13:59
  
  Leaving the EU is the "biggest domestic risk" Britain faces and could have serious consequences for the housing market and City of London, the governor of the Bank of England has warned.
  
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• 'Traumatised' Cyclists Pushed Into Canal

  08-03-2016 13:56
  
  Six riders - all men aged between 35 and 49 - have been left "frightened and highly traumatised" after the attacks at Westminster's Grand Union Canal. Inspector Anna Brennan, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "These incidents have been very unpleasant for the victims, who may have not suffered particularly serious injuries, but have been left frightened and highly traumatised by what has happened to them.
  
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• Bank of England warns of Brexit risks, angering eurosceptics

  08-03-2016 13:55
  By David Milliken and Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said on Tuesday a vote by Britain to leave the European Union could hit the country's $2.9 trillion (£2.04 trillion) economy and prompt some banks to move away from London's global financial powerhouse. In his strongest intervention so far in the politically charged debate about Britain's EU referendum, Carney said he was not making any recommendation about how to vote. Britain is due to vote on June 23
  
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• Bill Wyman Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer

  08-03-2016 13:38
  
  Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman has been diagnosed with prostate cancer but is expected to make a "full recovery". A spokesman for the 79-year-old said he has already started treatment and the disease was caught in the "early stages". Wyman was born in southeast London in October 1936, and joined the Stones as the band's bass player in 1962, when the group had just started and was playing small gigs around London.
  
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• High-security jail 'hard to bear' for Hatton Garden raiders

  08-03-2016 13:32
  The Hatton Garden raiders have been held in a high-security prison, sometimes only seeing 30 minutes of daylight a day, a court has heard.
  
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• UK first as mother has robotic lung cancer surgery

  08-03-2016 13:22
  
  A mother who would not have been able to lift and carry her newborn baby for weeks if she received conventional surgery was home within days of an operation on her lung using a robot in a UK first.
  
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• Government accepts 1% pay rise for public sector workers

  08-03-2016 13:07
  The Government has accepted a recommended 1% pay rise for public sector workers, including doctors and nurses.
  
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• Tube Drivers Vote For Piccadilly Line Strike

  08-03-2016 12:48
  
  Tube drivers on London Underground's Piccadilly line have voted to strike over allegations of a breakdown in industrial relations. Following an RMT union ballot of nearly 400 train operators across the line, 85% voted for strike action and the result will now be considered by the union's executive. A statement released by the union said the ballot had been called after what it described as a "prolonged period of industrial problems on the line" related to the "ageing Piccadilly line fleet".
  
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