General news

• Dog believed lost at sea turns up on island used by US navy

  17-03-2016 23:56
  
  Luna, a German shepherd-husky mix, swam two miles after going missing from her owner’s shipping boat in FebruaryA dog believed to have drowned after disappearing from a fishing boat off the California coast five weeks ago was found on an island owned by the US navy and is to be reunited with her owner. Luna, a blue-eyed German shepherd-husky mix, apparently swam two miles to San Clemente Island, off the San Diego coast, where navy employees found her on Tuesday, Naval Base Coronado spokesw
  
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• Widnes march on with a win at Wigan and take two-point lead at top

  17-03-2016 23:51
  
  • Wigan 12-18 WidnesIf last week’s comprehensive victory against Hull was a signal of intent towards Widnes’s potential this year, then this win lays down a much more serious marker. It seems harsh on the Vikings to call the last six weeks a fairytale but, however one dresses it up, their remarkable start to the season continues apace and is showing no signs of slowing down.The stats surrounding the victory indicate how well Widnes are playing at the moment. They had not won in
  
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• Ed Miliband: Tories far too able to 'do wrong things' on climate change

  17-03-2016 23:31
  
  Former Labour leader deeply critical of government cuts to green policies, such as cancelling carbon capture and storage competitionDavid Cameron’s government is to blame for overseeing the fraying of the UK’s cross-party consensus for action on climate change, according to Ed Miliband.Related: UK cancels pioneering £1bn carbon capture and storage competitionContinue reading...
  
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• Yann M’Vila: ‘If a Russian turns up with a gun and I’ve an axe, who’s going to win?’

  17-03-2016 23:30
  
  The Sunderland midfielder seems to have put off-field issues behind him to become the key man in Sam Allardyce’s side for Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derbyYann M’Vila listens to the question, nods, half-smiles and shifts in his seat. “Let’s talk about this axe then,” says Sunderland’s former France midfielder. “There was one in the house but it was the landlord’s – and let’s be honest, if a Russian turned up with a gun and I’ve got a
  
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• Roy Hodgson: Wayne Rooney not a guaranteed England starter at Euro 2016

  17-03-2016 23:30
  
  • England manager: ‘If he’s fit, he’ll go. But not as an automatic starter’
  • ‘He’s our captain and has been very important. We need his influence’Roy Hodgson is confident Wayne Rooney will have recovered from a knee ligament injury in time to lead England to the summer’s European Championship, though he has suggested the captain will not be guaranteed a place in the starting lineup for the tournament in France.Rooney’s absence has
  
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• Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho sends Manchester United out of Europe

  17-03-2016 23:05
  
  Related: Manchester United at least restore some pride but Liverpool go through | Jamie Jackson As a measure of how Liverpool saw off their old enemy, nothing summed it up more than the break of play, with a quarter of an hour still remaining, when the first Manchester United supporters decided they had seen enough and the queues started forming for the exits. This was the club that once prided themselves on late feats of escapology – Barcelona in 1999, “Fergie Time” and all t
  
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• Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang confirms Tottenham’s exit

  17-03-2016 23:02
  
  Only time will tell if this sacrifice was one worth taking for Mauricio Pochettino. His rotation in Germany meant Tottenham Hotspur had but the slimmest of chances before a ball had even been kicked in this second leg and, thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s magic, any hopes of an unlikely comeback never got off the ground.Spurs have prioritised the Premier League, where they sit five points behind the leaders Leicester City, and Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Mousa Dembél&eacu
  
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• Police Officer Charged With Child Sex Offences

  17-03-2016 22:29
  
  A police officer with Scotland Yard's sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command has been charged with child sex offences. Detective Constable Chris Maitland will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday charged with 14 offences.
  
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• Cameron declares Brussels victory to end 'tampon tax'

  17-03-2016 22:13
  By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron won backing at a European Union summit on Thursday to end the so-called "tampon tax" that has become a political football for Britons campaigning to leave the EU in a June referendum. "We're a step closer to ending the tampon tax," a British government spokeswoman told reporters after EU leaders agreed to express support in the summit statement for an adjustment to UK value-add tax (VAT) on women's sanitary products. "It sho
  
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• Tampon Tax Set To Be Scrapped After EU Deal

  17-03-2016 22:11
  
  David Cameron has won an EU deal paving the way to scrap the so-called tampon tax, after facing a backbench rebellion in a Budget vote in the Commons next Tuesday. Downing Street announced that the 28 EU leaders meeting in Brussels have agreed unanimously to a statement allowing member states to exempt sanitary products from VAT. The statement welcomes "the intention of the Commission to include proposals for increased flexibility for member states with respect to reduced rates of VAT, which wil
  
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• Jools And Jamie Oliver Expecting Fifth Child

  17-03-2016 21:43
  
  Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools have revealed they are expecting their fifth child. The couple arrived at the premiere of Eddie The Eagle in London with Jools, 41, dressed in a jumpsuit which showed off her baby bump. Jamie later confirmed the news on his Twitter account, a day after he succeeded in his campaign for a sugar tax on soft drinks.
  
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• Manchester United v Liverpool: Europa League – live!

  17-03-2016 20:51
  
  The latest as Manchester United host rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford Jürgen Klopp: ‘I am not scared but it is not a holiday’Louis van Gaal: Man Utd owe fans a performance against LiverpoolEmail [email protected] to get in touch7.51pm GMTAnd now it’s Jurgen Klopp’s turn. And the gauntlet is down! “We knew that we had to come here to play, so we can ignore the first result. It’s not important for us today. We are here to win the game again. That
  
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• Mass stop and search by police doesn't reduce crime, says study

  17-03-2016 20:50
  
  Research released following FoI request after debate between home secretary and Met police chief over effectiveness of tacticThe use of large “surge” stop and search operations by the police has no discernible effect in reducing crime, according to newly released Home Office research.The study looks at the mass use of stop and search by London’s Metropolitan police to tackle knife crime in 2008/09, at a time when officers were carrying out a search once every 20 seconds on aver
  
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• Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund: Europa League – live!

  17-03-2016 20:47
  
  The latest as Tottenham host Borussia Dortmund in the Europa LeagueUefa charge Borussia Dortmund after Tottenham fans injured in crushTottenham Hotspur braced for Dortmund clash, says Pochettino Email [email protected]. Tweet him @DanielHarris7.47pm GMTTalking of YouTube uploads, my first visit to the Lane is a recent addition. SPOILER: Mitchell Thomas scores an overhead kick. 7.43pm GMT“Thank you for exhibit A - certainly gave me a nostalgic buzz…” emails Jo
  
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• Campaign live: Lindsey Graham backs Ted Cruz for Republican nomination

  17-03-2016 20:40
  
  John Kerry: Isis is committing genocide in Syria and IraqDemocracy is a joke, says China – just look at Donald TrumpNeed to catch up on yesterday? GOP pulls supreme court emergency brake7.40pm GMTRepublican opposition to the nomination of a supreme court justice is crumbling now that the “stellar” Merrick Garland has been put forward, senate Democrats claimed on Thursday. Related: Democrats see 'cracks' in Republican block of Merrick Garland confirmation7.16pm GMTBillionaire Re
  
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• The American landscape: from wilderness to wasteland – in pictures

  17-03-2016 20:39
  
  The ravaged landscape of America in the 1980s is the focus of a new book by photographer David T Hanson. Comprising four powerful sets of unseen photographs that show the impact of industrialization and the military, the images range from nuclear sites to mines and bear testimony to the legacy of their toxic and hazardous remains. Wilderness to Wasteland is published by Taverner Press on 26 April Continue reading...
  
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• Cyprus dispute threatens to derail EU-Turkey pact over refugees

  17-03-2016 20:38
  
  European leaders rush to reach agreement ahead of meeting on Friday as president of Cyprus says he will oppose deal until Ankara honours its obligations to the islandA pact between the EU and Turkey to stem the flow of refugees and migrants to Europe appears at risk of unravelling over a decades-long dispute about the divided island of Cyprus.Related: Turkey and EU agree outline of 'one in, one out' deal over Syria refugee crisisContinue reading...
  
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• 'Tampon tax' to be axed after David Cameron wins EU support for VAT change

  17-03-2016 20:33
  
  David Cameron has secured support from all EU states for new flexibility on VAT which will allow the UK to introduce a zero rating for sanitary products such as tampons.
  
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• Coca-Cola and other soft drinks firms hit back at sugar tax plan

  17-03-2016 20:31
  
  Drinks makers say Osborne’s new levy will not reduce obesity, while analysts suggest it could be hidden in smaller pack sizesCoca-Cola and other soft drinks companies targeted by George Osborne’s sugar tax have warned that the chancellor’s new levy will not reduce obesity.Analysts said prices were likely to rise for shoppers as a result of the tax, announced in a surprise budget measure on Wednesday, but suggested that the new tax could be hidden in smaller pack sizes or reduce
  
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• France agrees bailout for EDF to proceed with Hinkley Point C

  17-03-2016 20:26
  
  Money will be made available to help build nuclear plant, says economics minister, as union repeats call for project to be shelvedThe French government has promised a financial bailout for cash-strapped energy group EDF so that it can proceed with the £18bn plan to build the first nuclear reactors in Britain for 20 years.France’s economics minister, Emmanuel Macron, said it would be a mistake for the 85% state-owned company not to build a new Hinkley Point C power plant in Somerset a
  
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• Brazil: judge halts Lula's appointment to cabinet amid corruption scandal

  17-03-2016 20:23
  
  Judge prevents former president from taking office amid fears his appointment could compromise police inquiryBrazil’s wildly chaotic and increasingly tense political crisis has taken another twist after a judge suspended former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s appointment to cabinet moments after he was sworn in.The decision on Wednesday by president Dilma Rousseff to appoint Lula as her new chief of staff prompted anti-government demonstrations across Brazil, as a secret
  
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• The bare knuckle fight over Merrick Garland could sway this election | Jill Abramson

  17-03-2016 20:21
  
  Garland’s temperate record magnifies the extremism of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Voters will be taking careful note of how the Republicans behaveWatching President Obama introduce Merrick Garland as his nominee to replace Antonin Scalia on the US supreme court called to mind a similar tableau in 1991, when President George HW Bush nominated Clarence Thomas to replace Justice Thurgood Marshall. In each case, the nominee was replacing his ideological opposite, with the conservative Thomas, w
  
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• Pressure mounts on Cameron to answer MPs' questions on Libya

  17-03-2016 20:19
  
  Foreign affairs committee is conducting inquiry into UK planning for Libya in the wake of Gaddafi’s downfallThe political pressure on David Cameron to explain Britain’s role in a potential “stabilisation force” in Libya has increased as he was pressed to give evidence to the foreign affairs select committee on the UK’s strategy. The committee is conducting an inquiry into British planning for Libya in the wake of the downfall of its dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, in 201
  
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• England’s Eddie Jones accuses Wales as rancour deepens over Joe Marler jibe

  17-03-2016 20:14
  
  England coach says Wales are trying to unsettle grand slam bid after WRU and World Rugby express unease at lax treatment of Joe MarlerWhile England are still trying to focus on a potential first grand slam for 13 years there is no escaping the increasingly bitter diplomatic row swirling around them ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations finale in Paris. The tournament organisers’ refusal to take any action against the England prop Joe Marler for his inappropriate “gypsy boy&rdquo
  
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• Democrats see 'cracks' in Republican block of Merrick Garland confirmation

  17-03-2016 20:10
  
  New York senator Chuck Schumer said some Senate Republicans have agreed to meet supreme court nominee despite leadership wanting to hold off on hearingsRepublican opposition to the nomination of a supreme court justice is crumbling now that the “stellar” Merrick Garland has been put forward, senate Democrats claimed on Thursday.The Republican leadership is holding out against senate confirmation hearings or a vote after Barack Obama named Garland to replace conservative Justice Anton
  
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• Axing parent-governors is a cynical move – and a disaster for schools

  17-03-2016 20:08
  
  It is reckless to stop calling on parents, those who have entrusted it with their own children’s education, to lend a handNo doubt there will be some headteachers giving a quiet cheer at the announcement that parent-governors are to be ushered gently towards the exit. For some, the parent with a seat at the governing table has doubtless been an unwanted pain: regularly passing on complaints they have picked up in the playground, when they’re not whineing about there being too much (o
  
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• Pop, rock, rap, whatever: who killed the music genre?

  17-03-2016 20:00
  
  Skrillex produces Bieber, Rihanna covers Tame Impala, and the genre-bending 1975 top the charts. The people making and consuming music are more stylistically promiscuous than ever. How did we get here?Pitchfork, widely viewed as the world’s leading alternative music website, relaunched this week. Along with a rather pleasant new look, it announced “a significant new feature”, the ability to view the site according to genre.At first glance this might suggest that genre boundarie
  
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• Public inquiry ordered into police killing of Anthony Grainger

  17-03-2016 19:58
  
  Grainger, 36, was unarmed when he was shot by a Greater Manchester police marksman in 2012 A public inquiry has been ordered into the death of a man shot by police.The home secretary, Theresa May, announced that the inquest into the 2012 killing of Anthony Grainger would be converted into a statutory inquiry led by a judge with greater investigative powers. Continue reading...
  
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• Silver-screen underdogs: why cinema loves a loser

  17-03-2016 19:57
  
  From the worst soprano in history to a ski-jumper so terrible they had to change the rules – the cinema gods love a trier. Will films about Eddie the Eagle and operatic catastrophe Florence Foster Jenkins finally give their subjects a triumph?All of us are bad at something, and most of us are bad at many things. Life is filled with skills we dearly wish we had, but don’t. Related: Eddie the Eagle review: plucky no-hope ski-jumper melts heartsContinue reading...
  
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• Jacob Zuma denies influence of wealthy Gupta family in South African cabinet

  17-03-2016 19:47
  
  President rejects claim that family of industrialists handed out ministerial posts amid growing corruption scandalThe South African leader, Jacob Zuma, has denied letting a family of wealthy industrialists hand out posts in his cabinet, as he battles to contain a snowballing corruption scandal that could threaten his presidency.Ahead of a key meeting of the ruling party’s leadership this weekend, a top power-broker from Zuma’s own African National Congress has warned that the country
  
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• Glencore reports seven dead in mining accident

  17-03-2016 19:43
  
  Switzerland-based mining company gives up looking for survivors after wall collapses at open pit mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo Glencore’s efforts to reduce fatalities among its staff have suffered a setback with the announcement that the death toll from an accident at a Congolese mine has risen to seven.Rescuers have been searching for survivors for 10 days, after the wall of an open pit mine owned by a Glencore subsidiary, Katanga, collapsed on employees performing upgrade work
  
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• Hot dog! 100 years of Nathan's Famous at Coney Island – in pictures

  17-03-2016 19:41
  
  The Coney Island institution is 100 years old. Founded in 1916 by Nathan Handwerker, it has been serving hot dogs to crowds on the boardwalk ever since Continue reading...
  
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• Police Racism Row Over Four-Leaf Clover Tweet

  17-03-2016 19:23
  
  The Metropolitan Police has apologised after wishing its followers on Twitter a happy St Patrick's Day. Users who saw the tweet sent from Lewisham Police, in east London, of a four-leaf clover designed from handcuffs accused the force of being "racist" and "threatening". The picture was originally used by San Diego police in 2014 to remind party-goers not to drink and drive after 269 people were killed by drunk drivers on St Patrick's Day in five years.
  
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• 'Dedicated' Doctor Who Treated 7/7 Victims Dies

  17-03-2016 19:17
  
  A "dedicated" doctor who helped treat victims of the 2005 London bombings has died after a fire at her north London flat. Dr Claire Sheppey, described by colleagues as an "amazing woman and doctor", passed away from injuries suffered during Wednesday morning's blaze. Firefighters rescued Dr Sheppey from her burning second-floor flat on Crowland Terrance, Islington, but she later died in hospital.
  
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• New anti-obesity treatments hope with finding of brain cell halting over-eating

  17-03-2016 19:00
  A brain cell that stops over-eating has been identified by scientists, paving the way to potential new anti-obesity treatments.
  
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• Roaring Lionesses Interrupt Queen's Zoo Visit

  17-03-2016 18:56
  
  The Queen has paid a visit to London Zoo to open a new enclosure for the society's four endangered Asiatic lions. Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh gave the royal seal of approval to the impressive animals as she unveiled a large plaque that would commemorate the visit and the Land Of The Lions exhibit. There was a moment during the speeches when the Queen might have been upstaged in what appeared to be a standoff between two roaring lionesses were arguing over their own lunch.
  
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• Budget growth downgrade prompts warning over wages and living standards

  17-03-2016 18:55
  
  The downgrading of George Osborne's Budget economic forecasts has left households across Britain facing the prospect of falling wages and a squeeze on living standards, a leading economic think tank has warned.
  
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• PM Summoned To Appear Before MPs Over Libya

  17-03-2016 18:33
  
  David Cameron has been summoned to appear before MPs over Libya, amid controversy about UK involvement in the war-torn country. The move comes after US President Barack Obama criticised the Prime Minister for his actions over Libya. The American leader said European nations, including the UK, had joined the US military action to prevent a massacre in the north African state back in 2011, but then failed to prevent the country becoming a "mess" following the overthrow of Colonel Muammar
  
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• Paul Daniels and I had 'fairytale life' together, says Debbie McGee

  17-03-2016 18:31
  
  Debbie McGee has said she and husband Paul Daniels had a "fairytale life" together as she paid tribute to him.
  
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• Record numbers of teenagers arrested in counter-terrorism probes

  17-03-2016 18:09
  Record numbers of teenagers are being arrested in counter-terrorism investigations, new figures have revealed.
  
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• TalkTalk launches voice recognition system

  17-03-2016 18:07
  TalkTalk is introducing biometric technology that will enable customers to log into their account over the phone using just their voice.
  
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• British Astronomers Find Nine 'Monster' Stars

  17-03-2016 17:12
  
  Nine "monster" stars which are 30 million times brighter than the Sun have been spotted by British astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope. The cluster of stars around 170,000 light years from Earth is the largest group of very massive stars ever identified. They were discovered by an international team led by astronomers from Sheffield University.
  
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• Rolf Harris Denies Indecent Assault Charges

  17-03-2016 16:59
  
  Rolf Harris denied eight charges of indecent assault - including some against children - as he appeared in court via video link from prison.
  
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• Rolf Harris denies sex attacks, including assault on disabled woman

  17-03-2016 16:48
  
  Disgraced children's entertainer Rolf Harris has appeared in court accused of seven more sex attacks - including an assault on a disabled woman.
  
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• Britons Face Pay Cut After Budget, IFS Says

  17-03-2016 16:35
  
  Britain faces a fall in wages and living standards after official economic forecasts were downgraded, a leading think-tank has warned. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said revisions to productivity forecasts set out by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) would have repercussions for everyone and not just the public finances. These changes had resulted in £56bn lost "down the back of the sofa" according to the OBR's Budget predictions compared to its previous expectations
  
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• Queen feasts eyes on lionesses' lunch row during London Zoo visit

  17-03-2016 16:12
  A row over lunch between two lionesses almost upstaged the Queen as she unveiled a new enclosure at London Zoo.
  
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• David Cameron: EU deal with Turkey will not mean more migrants coming to UK

  17-03-2016 16:01
  Britain will not be taking any extra migrants as a result of a deal being struck between the European Union and Turkey, Prime Minister David Cameron has said.
  
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• Hubble Space Telescope helps find group of nine massive stars

  17-03-2016 16:00
  British astronomers have used the Hubble Space Telescope to find a group of nine massive stars 30 million times brighter than the Sun.
  
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• Osborne running out of wiggle room in budget surplus plan

  17-03-2016 15:39
  By William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) - Chancellor George Osborne is running out of room to keep his centrepiece budget surplus plan on track without resorting to big tax increases or further deep spending cuts, economists said on Thursday. Osborne delivered an annual budget statement on Wednesday that maintained his target of putting Britain's public finances back in the black by the end of the decade, despite a much weaker outlook for the economy. "If I were the chancellor, it would be keeping
  
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• God Save the Queen? No future for England's punk dream, McLaren's son says

  17-03-2016 15:34
  The son of former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren is to burn his 5 million pound collection of punk memorabilia after saying the subversive music genre had been appropriated by the mainstream. The anarchic Sex Pistols band popularised punk music through songs such as 'God Save the Queen', which attacked the British monarch with lyrics including: "she ain't no human being, there is no future in England's dreaming". "Rather than a movement for change, punk has become like a museum piece or a t
  
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