General news

• British hostage who posed for photo with plane hijacker returns to UK

  30-03-2016 23:56
  
  A British hostage who posed for a photo with the Egyptian plane hijacker has arrived back in the UK.
  
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• Ministers vow crackdown on 'clocking' cars to boost re-sale value

  30-03-2016 23:05
  Ministers have promised to take action to stop the "clocking" of cars, reducing their on-screen mileage and boosting their re-sale value.
  
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• Vodafone Complaints Up With New Billing System

  30-03-2016 22:35
  Complaints against telecoms giant Vodafone have surged by more than 50% after issues with a new billing system. Regulator Ofcom says there were 32 complaints about Vodafone made per 100,000 customers in the last three months of 2015 - an increase from the 20 in the previous three months. Vodafone was the only provider to receive more complaints than the industry average of 10 per 100,000 customers.
  
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• Jean Charles de Menezes family 'deeply disappointed' at court ruling

  30-03-2016 21:47
  
  The family of Jean Charles de Menezes have lost a human rights challenge over the decision not to charge any individual police officer following his death.
  
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• Weight loss said to be among the health benefits of eating pulses

  30-03-2016 21:00
  Beans means .. losing weight, according to researchers investigating the slimming potential of pulses.
  
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• Unbelievable Jeff! Soccer Saturday's Stelling completes charity walk

  30-03-2016 20:26
  Presenter Jeff Stelling has walked 10 marathons in 10 days raising hundreds and thousands of pounds for charity.
  
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• Satnav dependence threatening basic navigation skills, expert warns

  30-03-2016 19:09
  Basic navigation skills are under threat because of our increasing dependence on satnav technology, a leading expert has claimed.
  
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• Postmaster takes four trains and a car journey to deliver passport on time

  30-03-2016 19:09
  A dedicated postmaster made a round trip of more than 600 miles to personally deliver a passport on time.
  
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• Batman v Superman in superhero box office showdown with Deadpool

  30-03-2016 19:09
  Superhero blockbuster Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice took £14.6 million at UK box offices on its first weekend - the biggest opening for any film in British cinemas so far this year.
  
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• Indonesian 'hobbit' humans became extinct longer ago than previously thought

  30-03-2016 19:00
  Extinct mini humans from Indonesia nicknamed "hobbits" vanished thousands of years earlier than had previously been thought, new research suggests.
  
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• 83% of scientists polled back staying in EU, says research journal Nature

  30-03-2016 19:00
  A vast majority of British scientists want to remain in the European Union, with only 12% backing Brexit, according to a poll conducted by the UK's leading research journal.
  
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• PM To Hold Steel Crisis Emergency Meeting

  30-03-2016 18:44
  
  David Cameron is to hold an emergency meeting with ministers to discuss the crisis in the British steel industry that is threatening thousands of jobs. The move comes as the Prime Minister rejected demands by Jeremy Corbyn for Parliament to be recalled over Tata Steel's decision to sell its loss making UK business. The Welsh Assembly is to reconvene next week to debate the crisis, with the plant at Port Talbot employing 4,000 workers.
  
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• Gary Neville Sacked As Valencia Coach

  30-03-2016 18:37
  
  Former England defender Gary Neville has been sacked as first-team coach of Valencia after less than four months in the job. Neville will be replaced until the end of the season by Pako Ayestaran, who was assistant coach of Valencia from 2001 to 2004. "After careful consideration, the club have decided to make a change with the best interests of Valencia CF moving forward this season," the La Liga club said in a statement on its website.
  
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• Watch: Police Use Chainsaw In Cardiff Drugs Bust

  30-03-2016 18:22
  
  South Wales Police have offered a rare insight into the fight against drug crime in Cardiff. The force has posted a video of anti-drug police using a chainsaw to slice through a front door during an early morning drugs raid. The pair remain in police custody while investigations are ongoing.
  
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• Aldi Recall After Mice Found At Supplier

  30-03-2016 18:04
  A supplier to discount supermarket chain Aldi has recalled some of its snacks, because of possible pest contamination. The snacks, biscuits and sweets, all made by Baketime Ltd, based in Middlesbrough, have been withdrawn from sale "on a precautionary basis", according to a statement from The Food Standards Agency. Affected products include Aldi Cheese Thins, Aldi Cheese Bakes, Aldi Oddbites and Aldi Ginger Nuts.
  
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• Ministers to discuss steel crisis but no recall of Parliament over jobs threat

  30-03-2016 17:56
  
  The Government has been criticised for refusing to recall Parliament to discuss the steel crisis amid fears that thousands of jobs could be axed.
  
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• 5G researchers aim to turn science fiction into reality

  30-03-2016 17:51
  Researchers are working to create a new mobile network which could enable remote surgery and driverless cars.
  
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• Jean Charles de Menezes family have human rights challenge rejected

  30-03-2016 17:49
  The family of Jean Charles de Menezes have lost a human rights challenge against the decision not to charge any individual police officer over his death.
  
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• Former Lib Dem facing child sex charges to run for police and crime commissioner

  30-03-2016 17:29
  A former Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate who is facing a series of child sex charges has announced he will run for police and crime commissioner in May's elections.
  
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• Family Loses Legal Fight Over De Menezes Death

  30-03-2016 16:54
  
  The family of Jean Charles de Menezes have lost their legal battle to hold the police officers who shot him to account. They lodged a case with the European Court of Human Rights to challenge the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to prosecute any individuals over the 27-year-old Brazilian's death. On Wednesday, the court ruled the CPS was right not to charge the Met Police marksmen who shot dead the electrician.
  
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• European court clears UK officials in 2005 de Menezes shooting case

  30-03-2016 16:54
  Europe's top human rights court ruled on Wednesday that British prosecutors were right not to charge police officers involved in the shooting 11 years ago of a Brazilian man they thought was a suicide bomber. Electrician Jean Charles de Menezes was fatally shot seven times in the head by specialist firearms officers as he boarded an underground train at Stockwell station in south London on July 22, 2005. Police wrongly thought he was Hussein Osman, one of the attackers on the run, who lived in t
  
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• Largest council tax rises this decade loom for English householders

  30-03-2016 16:48
  
  Households across England will face the biggest council tax rises this decade from Friday, with annual bills for the average property set to rise by £54 in most parts of the country.
  
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• Owner of gold supercar fleet hit by parking fines totalling hundreds of pounds

  30-03-2016 16:45
  The owner of a fleet of gold supercars has been hit with hundreds of pounds in parking fines.
  
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• Jailed footballer Adam Johnson files appeal against sexual activity conviction

  30-03-2016 16:22
  Disgraced footballer Adam Johnson has begun an appeal against his conviction for sexual activity with a child, a court official has said.
  
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• Aldi recalls branded biscuits due to possible 'pest contamination'

  30-03-2016 16:22
  Discount supermarket Aldi has recalled some branded biscuits and snacks due to possible "pest contamination".
  
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• Police officer in court charged with raping 17-year-old girl

  30-03-2016 14:37
  A police officer charged with raping a 17-year-old girl and two further counts of sexual assault has appeared in court.
  
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• Girls 'keep quiet in classroom due to sexist bullying'

  30-03-2016 14:35
  Girls are keeping quiet during classroom debate because they would prefer to be considered attractive rather than intelligent, an education leader has warned.
  
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• 'Face melter' acid attack was revenge for drug deal that went wrong, court told

  30-03-2016 14:35
  A mother of six was blinded in one eye after having a "face melter" acid thrown at her out of revenge for a drug deal that went wrong, a court has heard.
  
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• Study finds fall in growth of independent shops on high street

  30-03-2016 14:30
  British high streets have seen a sharp decline in the growth of independent shops following a rise in out-of-town shopping centres, according to research.
  
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• Rufus Wainwright reveals father Loudon's 'tremendous jealousy'

  30-03-2016 14:30
  Musician Rufus Wainwright says his singer father Loudon Wainwright III was jealous of him and not good at masking resentment.
  
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• Noise in intensive care units 'as loud as pneumatic drills'

  30-03-2016 14:30
  The nation's sickest patients are being treated in wards that are frequently as loud as pneumatic drills, research suggests.
  
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• Lambs killed as farm targeted in second shooting spree

  30-03-2016 14:30
  More lambs have been killed in a second shooting spree at nearby farms within the last week, police have said.
  
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• Family of attacked shopkeeper Asad Shah hail 'brilliant man'

  30-03-2016 14:30
  The family of a shopkeeper who died after he was attacked outside his store say they have been left devastated by the loss of a "brilliant man".
  
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• Minister claims EU membership 'does little to keep Britain safe'

  30-03-2016 14:24
  Being part of the EU does "little to keep Britain safe" against terrorists and regaining border control would be a "valuable defensive tool", a minister has claimed.
  
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• New official UK house price index points to bigger past rises

  30-03-2016 14:06
  British homeowners might be sitting on bigger increases in the value of their properties than they thought, based on a new official measure of house prices. The new index, which provides better coverage of new houses and houses bought without a mortgage, shows that prices in England and Wales rose by an average 6.1 percent a year between 2003 and 2011, the Office for National Statistics said. This compares with rises of 4.6 percent for Land Registry data, which do not include newly built homes,
  
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• PM Urged To Recall Parliament Over Steel Crisis

  30-03-2016 14:02
  
  Jeremy Corbyn has called for Parliament to be recalled over Tata Steel's decision to consider a sale of its entire UK business - threatening thousands of jobs. The Labour leader wrote to David Cameron as the Government promised "a real fight" to save the British steel industry but stopped short of promising to save the jobs of 15,000 steelworkers. Mr Corbyn wrote: "The news that Tata is preparing to pull out of steelmaking in Britain puts thousands of jobs across the country and a strategic UK-w
  
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• CCTV Captures Car's Ram Attack On Shop

  30-03-2016 13:44
  
  CCTV footage shows the vehicle mounting the pavement and reversing four times into the front of the Auto Shop in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Mohammed Yousaf said he initially thought it was an earthquake, adding that he was "lucky" to have only suffered minor injuries. Mr Yousaf said the driver had earlier come into the store to ask if he had security cameras.
  
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• Corbyn urges recall of Parliament amid steel industry crisis

  30-03-2016 13:30
  
  Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is demanding the recall of Parliament to discuss the crisis gripping the steel industry.
  
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• ECB's Weidmann warns against Britain leaving EU

  30-03-2016 13:23
  Britain has profited from the European Union's internal market and the EU would lose an important voice for competition and free trade if it were to leave the bloc, European Central Bank policymaker Jens Weidmann said. "Both the euro zone and Great Britain have enjoyed economic gains from the internal market," Weidmann told Germany's Funke Mediengruppe in comments released on Wednesday. Britain votes on June 23 on whether to remain in the EU.
  
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• New Vodafone billing system sees customer complaints soar

  30-03-2016 13:22
  Telecoms giant Vodafone has become the most complained-about pay-monthly mobile provider after issues with a new billing system sent customer grievances surging.
  
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• Nominations For TV BAFTA Awards Revealed

  30-03-2016 13:12
  
  Idris Elba, Mark Rylance and Sheridan Smith are among the stars nominated for TV BAFTA awards.
  
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• Shares in Premier Foods rise after Schwartz owner tables third proposal

  30-03-2016 12:43
  Shares in Mr Kipling cakes firm Premier Foods jumped after Schwartz spice owner McCormick & Company tabled its third approach for the business, worth £537 million.
  
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• Idris Elba gets first Bafta TV awards nomination

  30-03-2016 12:37
  
  Idris Elba has earned his first Bafta television awards nomination.
  
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• Ice wall bid to stem contaminated water at Fukushima plant

  30-03-2016 12:21
  An unprecedented refrigeration structure resembling giant ice lollies has been approved by Japanese regulators to help create a frozen underground barrier around the Fukushima nuclear reactor buildings and contain contaminated water.
  
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• 'Progress' In Fighting Huge Birmingham Fire

  30-03-2016 12:04
  
  Around 70 firefighters are battling a large fire at a scrap metal recycling centre in Birmingham for a second day. West Midlands Fire Service said that despite challenging conditions, crews made "good progress" in dealing with it overnight. Around 4,000 homes in the area were warned their power supply could be cut overnight as a pylon was isolated for safety reasons at the request of the fire service.
  
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• Pair charged after police study footage of Borders hunt

  30-03-2016 11:41
  
  Two men have been charged with wildlife offences after video footage emerged of a hunt in the Scottish Borders.
  
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• Michael Sheen: Government must 'do all they can' to support steelworkers

  30-03-2016 11:41
  
  Welsh actor Michael Sheen has called on the Government to "do all they can" to support steelworkers in light of the news that thousands of jobs could be at risk.
  
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• Ex-civil servant says UK would struggle to agree EU exit in two years

  30-03-2016 11:21
  Britain would struggle to negotiate an exit from the European Union within a two-year deadline if voters decide to leave the bloc in June's referendum, the country's former top civil servant said on Wednesday. If they decide to leave, EU rules state that Britain will have two years to hammer out the terms of its new relationship with the EU on issues such as trade and the status of foreign residents. If by mid-2018, Britain has not agreed, its membership will simply end unless all the other EU s
  
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• Farage warns of sex attack risk if Britain stays in EU

  30-03-2016 11:16
  
  Nigel Farage has claimed Cologne-style mass sex attacks could happen in Britain if it stays in the European Union.
  
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• Egyptian hijack suspect 'hasn't seen wife and children in 24 years'

  30-03-2016 11:12
  
  The plane hijacker who threatened to blow up an EgyptAir flight asked police: "What's someone supposed to do when he hasn't seen his wife and children in 24 years?"
  
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