General news

• SNP To Launch Fresh Scottish Independence Bid

  12-03-2016 22:30
  
  Nicola Sturgeon has vowed to launch a fresh bid for Scottish independence this summer, whatever the outcome of the EU referendum in June. The Scottish First Minister is also promising a rethink on some of the arguments the Yes campaign made last time, in a bid to turn the 45% who voted Yes into a majority for independence. Her pledge came as she addressed the SNP's spring conference in Glasgow with a new poll suggesting the party is on course to win an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament
  
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• Two-year-old twin boys drowned after falling into garden fish pond

  12-03-2016 22:14
  Two-year-old twin boys have drowned in "heartbreaking" circumstances after falling into a fish pond in a garden in Fife.
  
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• '64 Britons or people with UK links' feature in leaked Islamic State files

  12-03-2016 22:14
  
  The details of as many as 64 Britons or people with UK links are reportedly contained among thousands of leaked Islamic State documents.
  
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• Stuart Pearce fails to inspire 'worst team in England' to first victory

  12-03-2016 21:26
  Former England football star Stuart Pearce came out of retirement to play for a team dubbed the worst in England - and lost his debut match.
  
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• Cancer victim's mother thanks JK Rowling in poignant letter

  12-03-2016 21:15
  The mother of a young cancer sufferer sent her heartfelt thanks to Harry Potter author JK Rowling for providing comfort as her daughter underwent treatment.
  
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• Scotland's SNP to start rebuilding independence campaign this summer

  12-03-2016 20:27
  By Elisabeth O'Leary GLASGOW, Scotland (Reuters) - The Scottish National Party (SNP) will start building a new case for independence from the United Kingdom this summer, party leader and Scottish government head Nicola Sturgeon said on Saturday, without committing herself to a timeframe for a new referendum. Scots voted 55 to 45 percent against independence in 2014, but the collapse of the Labour and Conservative parties vaulted the SNP to unprecedented gains in the subsequent British national e
  
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• Boy With Cerebral Palsy Pens NHS Appeal To PM

  12-03-2016 19:32
  
  A boy with cerebral palsy has written to the Prime Minister, appealing for the NHS to fund his life-changing physiotherapy. Ben Baddeley's parents are currently paying almost £2,000 a month for specialist treatment that allows him to walk independently. Almost two years ago, Ben had an operation on spinal nerves to relax painful muscle contortions in his limbs.
  
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• Police Shoot Man Who 'Fired Crossbow At Them'

  12-03-2016 19:20
  
  A man has been shot by police in Scotland after he allegedly fired a crossbow at officers. The 24-year-old had been involved in a stand-off with armed police for seven hours after barricading himself inside a house in Kilbirnie, Ayrshire. Police Scotland's Assistant Chief Constable, Malcolm Graham, said his injuries are not being considered as serious or life-threatening.
  
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• Iron Maiden's jet damaged and ground tug operators hurt in collision

  12-03-2016 19:05
  Heavy metal band Iron Maiden's Ed Force One plane has been damaged in an airport crash which left two people injured.
  
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• Chancellor To Announce £16bn B&B Sell-Off

  12-03-2016 17:13
  
  George Osborne will announce next week that he is firing the starting gun on a £16bn sale of rescued bank assets as he confronts a damaging shortfall in tax receipts. The decision could help to alleviate the impact of lower-than-expected revenues from the sale of shares in other taxpayer-backed lenders, such as Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), from which Mr Osborne had hoped to generate almost £6bn in the next financial year. The timing of the B&B auction is unclear, with some sourc
  
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• Paloma Faith reveals 'emotional' response to The Voice contestant Jordan Gray

  12-03-2016 17:05
  Paloma Faith has said she becomes "emotional" whenever she hears The Voice contestant Jordan Gray sing.
  
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• Nicola Sturgeon seeks support for 'beautiful dream' of independence

  12-03-2016 17:05
  The SNP is to launch a new drive to convince Scots to support the "beautiful dream" of independence, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
  
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• Alps plane crash families seek recommendations to improve aviation safety

  12-03-2016 16:37
  Lawyers representing British families bereaved by the Germanwings air crash have urged accident investigators to make clear recommendations to improve aviation safety.
  
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• Tap Water Still Too Dangerous For Hundreds

  12-03-2016 16:35
  
  Thousands of people in parts of Derbyshire and Leicestershire have been told they can use their water supply again. The warning triggered mass panic-buying of bottled water, leaving shops with empty shelves. But Severn Trent has now said that since 3pm today the number of properties that must not use tap water has dropped to 241.
  
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• Daredevil Parachutes Off London's Shard

  12-03-2016 16:26
  
  People walking past Britain's tallest building, The Shard, got a shock when a man parachuted from the skyscraper.
  
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• Man arrested over laser shone at PSNI helicopter

  12-03-2016 15:20
  A 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of endangering an aircraft after a laser was shone at a police helicopter.
  
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• Ashleigh and Pudsey at Crufts in campaign against parasites

  12-03-2016 14:55
  
  Britain's Got Talent winners Ashleigh and Pudsey have returned to Crufts six years after a victory performance at the famous dog show.
  
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• Gove: EU Immigration Policy Promoting 'Misery'

  12-03-2016 14:53
  
  Justice Secretary Michael Gove has declared the European Union to be a "failing organisation" promoting an immigration policy that is causing "misery" in Britain. "If we take back control of our borders we can have a more humane immigration policy that helps those in genuine need while managing the flow of people into the country," he said. The former Education Secretary also cautioned supporters over apparent doomsday predictions for the country if Britain voted to leave the EU.
  
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• Most Severn Trent homes can use water as normal after chlorine scare

  12-03-2016 14:38
  Most homes affected by Severn Trent Water's chlorine crisis will be able to use their water as normal later today, the company has said.
  
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• Belfast Bomb Accused In Court With Armed Guard

  12-03-2016 14:26
  
  Heavily armed police have been guarding a courtroom where a man has appeared charged with trying to murder a prison officer in Belfast. Christopher Alphonsos Robinson, 45, remained seated and yawned in court as the charges against him were read out. He is accused of placing an explosive device under a van, which went off when the vehicle was being driven over a speed bump in the east of the city.
  
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• Trojan Horse scandal disruption 'may have hit exam grades of pupils'

  12-03-2016 14:13
  There is a risk that the exam grades of pupils at schools at the centre of the Trojan Horse scandal may have been affected as a result of the disruption caused by the affair, it has been suggested.
  
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• Man charged with Northern Irish car bombing as security stepped up

  12-03-2016 14:09
  
  BELFAST (Reuters) - A 45-year-old man was charged on Saturday with attempting to murder a Northern Irish prison officer who was seriously injured in a car bomb a week ago, which was claimed by militant nationalists police fear are set to step up attacks.
  
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• Grayson Perry joins artists' campaign for Syria refugees

  12-03-2016 14:06
  Grayson Perry has joined Syrian refugees in producing art to be auctioned for charity.
  
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• Expert recommends 'strengthened' safety measures for new nuclear plant

  12-03-2016 13:15
  Measures to control risks associated with the planned new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point could be strengthened to enhance the safety of the project, according to a safety expert.
  
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• Man arrested over 'mistaken identity' gun murder

  12-03-2016 12:59
  A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following a shooting which police say was a case of mistaken identity.
  
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• Britain to test driverless cars on motorways from next year

  12-03-2016 12:54
  
  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said it will begin trialling driverless cars on motorways for the first time in 2017, as it moves towards its goal of allowing autonomous cars to take to the streets by 2020.
  
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• Michael Gove does not rule out being source of Queen Backs Brexit story

  12-03-2016 12:31
  Michael Gove has refused to rule out being the source of reported comments made by the Queen on the EU.
  
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• Labour's John McDonnell vows 'ruthless' approach to spending

  12-03-2016 12:31
  
  Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said he would be "ruthless" about managing spending and said his ambition is to restore credibility in economic debate.
  
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• Government backs 'fairer' disability payments after charity's criticism

  12-03-2016 12:31
  Hundreds of thousands of people will be affected by changes to disability benefits payments in the next five years, the Government has admitted.
  
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• 'Golden, gilded' schoolchildren 'must learn from experience of failure'

  12-03-2016 12:31
  
  Children who have enjoyed a "golden, gilded" school life should be made to fail to teach them important lessons like how to bounce back from defeat, the former head of Eton has suggested.
  
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• Five men and a woman charged with child sex 'offences'

  12-03-2016 12:31
  Five men and a woman have been charged with 53 child sexual offences relating to the alleged exploitation of a number of girls in Sheffield.
  
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• EDF chairman confident Hinkley Point C nuclear power station will go ahead

  12-03-2016 12:31
  
  EDF's chairman says he is "confident" that the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station will go ahead.
  
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• Dunblane girl's mother who heard massacre report unable to listen to radio since

  12-03-2016 12:31
  
  The mother of a child killed at Dunblane has told how she has been unable to listen to the radio since the day she heard the newsflash reporting the massacre at her daughter's school.
  
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• British Ski Instructor Dies In French Alps

  12-03-2016 10:26
  
  A "role model" British ski instructor has died in the French Alps, reportedly while teaching other skiers. In a statement, the group said: "It is with great sadness that we are informed today of the sudden death of Aaron McLean from a tragic accident in the Alps yesterday afternoon. A statement from British Freeride's Rob Kingsland said: "With a heavy heart its so hard to tell everyone of the death of Aaron McLean, a friend, amazing skier, lover of the mountains and people and co-founder of Brit
  
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• Rock Star Keith Emerson 'May Have Killed Himself'

  12-03-2016 07:43
  
  The British prog rock star Keith Emerson has died in what police are treating as a suspected suicide. The 71-year-old is believed to have died some time between Thursday night and Friday morning at his home in Santa Monica, Los Angeles. Emerson, born in Todmorden, Yorkshire, was the founding member of British superband Emerson, Lake and Palmer - one of the most famous progressive rock bands of the 1970s.
  
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• EDF Boss 'Confident' Of Hinkley Point Go-Ahead

  12-03-2016 07:26
  
  EDF's chairman has said he is "confident" that the £18bn Hinkley Point C nuclear power station will go ahead and it has the support of both the French and British governments. But in a letter to staff, Jean-Bernard Levy said the "financial context was challenging" and negotiations with the French government to secure the company's financial position were continuing. Earlier this month, EDF's chief finance officer Thomas Piquemal resigned over his concerns that the decision on inv
  
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• Teacher in line for global prize pleads for 'home learning and home support'

  12-03-2016 06:52
  A teacher in line for a million dollar prize after creating over a thousand maths videos explaining the subject has said he hopes to help youngsters who cannot afford private tutors.
  
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• Refugee's 'hearts and borders' plea moves Letters Live audience to tears

  12-03-2016 06:52
  A refugee's plea for Europe to open its "hearts and borders" brought a London audience to tears on the second night of the Letters Live series.
  
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• Nicola Sturgeon to issue income-tax pledge to voters

  12-03-2016 06:52
  Nicola Sturgeon will promise the basic rate of income tax will not be increased in Scotland if she is returned as First Minister.
  
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• More British troops head to Iraq to help with training in IS battle

  12-03-2016 06:52
  Britain is to step up its training mission to the Iraqi armed forces as they prepare for a new offensive against Islamic State.
  
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• Inequality could split Britain for good - social mobility tsar

  12-03-2016 06:52
  Britain could be "permanently divided" because of inequality between the generations, the country's social mobility tsar has said.
  
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• Expert plays down role of sport in forging character in students

  12-03-2016 06:52
  Simply playing sport in schools may not be the best way to instil virtues like character and resilience in pupils, a leading education expert has said.
  
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• Average of 57 trains a day significantly late, figures show

  12-03-2016 06:52
  An average of 57 trains are significantly late every day in Britain, according to industry figures.
  
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• Barack Obama: 'Dangers are real' in encryption debate

  12-03-2016 05:31
  US president Barack Obama has backed authorities in the debate pitting encryption and personal privacy against national security, saying authorities need access to data on electronic devices because the "dangers are real".
  
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• Year-in-space astronaut Scott Kelly announces retirement

  12-03-2016 04:28
  Astronaut Scott Kelly is hanging up his spacesuit a fter spending nearly a year in orbit.
  
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• Average Of 57 Trains Run Late Every Day

  12-03-2016 01:21
  
  Office of Rail and Road (ORR) data analysed by the Press Association reveals that 5,250 trains were late from July to September 2015. The figures - which amount to an average of 57 trains running significantly late each day - do not include trains that ran more than two hours late. The data shows the worst operator was the Caledonian Sleeper, which runs overnight services between London and Scotland.
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn says Labour will campaign for a 'real social Europe'

  12-03-2016 01:02
  Labour will campaign for a "real social Europe" that has greater public ownership and stronger workers' rights, Jeremy Corbyn will tell supporters.
  
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• Driverless cars to be tested on British motorways

  12-03-2016 01:02
  Driverless cars will be allowed on Britain's motorways next year i n a trial set to revolutionise motoring by 2020, George Osborne has announced.
  
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• Driverless Cars On UK Motorways Next Year

  12-03-2016 00:04
  
  Driverless cars will be allowed on Britain's motorways next year, George Osborne is to announce in the Budget on Wednesday. He hopes they will revolutionise motoring by 2020, and put the UK at the forefront of the new technology. Mr Osborne said: "At a time of great uncertainty in the global economy, Britain must take bold decisions now to ensure it leads the world when it comes to new technologies and infrastructure.
  
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