General news

• Nine-Year-Old Boy Is Super Sweet Job Hunter

  14-04-2016 23:19
  
  Ryan Dobson dropped off a handwritten letter to Sweets and Treats in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, after being told by his mother that treats and activities in the school holidays had to be paid for. Sweets and Treats owner Danielle Jaggers says the post has since been viewed by over 22,000 people.
  
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• Warning over kidney risk and heartburn drugs

  14-04-2016 23:00
  Commonly prescribed heartburn drugs may increase the risk of serious kidney damage, new research has shown.
  
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• Jonas Gutierrez in line for payout after winning Newcastle employment tribunal

  14-04-2016 22:27
  
  Footballer Jonas Gutierrez was ditched by Newcastle United because he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, an employment tribunal has found.
  
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• If asked in London, Obama to offer Brexit view as a 'friend' - White House

  14-04-2016 21:27
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will offer his view as a "friend" that the United Kingdom would be better off economically as a member of the European Union if he is asked about the "Brexit" during a visit in London next week, White House officials told reporters on Thursday. But Obama will make it clear that it is up to Britons to decide how to vote in the June 23 referendum on whether Britain should exit from the EU, said Ben Rhodes, his deputy national security adviser. (Reporti
  
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• Cable: City Must Demand BP Scalps Over Pay

  14-04-2016 20:50
  
  Investors in BP should call for the resignations of BP's chief executive and members of its remuneration committee, according to the architect of the most recent overhaul of boardroom pay in Britain. Speaking to Sky News, Sir Vince Cable, the former business secretary, said that shareholders should demand top-level scalps after the oil giant suffered one of the most humiliating rebellions in recent corporate history. Almost 60% of BP investors voted against its remuneration report at a stormy an
  
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• NHS Misses Key A&E Waiting Time Target Again

  14-04-2016 20:42
  
  Accident and emergency departments have failed to reach their targets for seeing patients on time for another month. NHS figures for February show that 87.8% of people were admitted, transferred or discharged from hospitals in England within four hours of arrival - the lowest proportion since records began. The target is 95%.
  
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• Kate's Near Miss As Royals Dart To Bhutan

  14-04-2016 20:09
  
  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge proved they were game for anything when they tried their hands at the national sports of Bhutan. Kate, meanwhile, was forced to shout "so sorry" when a dart she threw during a practice session of the sport of khuru, or dart throwing, narrowly missed a group of women. The Royal couple watched women competitors throwing the darts at a target, hoping to score a karey - or hit - before Kate had a go and nearly scored a direct hit on some female spectators.
  
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• Sword of honour winner 'would be dead or in prison had it not been for the Army'

  14-04-2016 19:56
  
  The top-performing officer cadet at Sandhurst has said on the eve of his "passing out" ceremony that had it not been for joining the Army he would be dead or in prison.
  
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• On 400th anniversary, new exhibit looks at key Shakespeare acts

  14-04-2016 19:49
  From a dress worn by Vivien Leigh as Lady Macbeth to a "Hamlet" script owned by famous stage actors, a new exhibition explores how William Shakespeare became "the Bard" 400 years after his death. The exhibition opens at London's British Library as theatre fans prepare to mark the anniversary of Shakespeare's death on April 23, 1616.
  
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• Fires And People Trapped After Japan Quakes

  14-04-2016 19:18
  
  A fresh 6.5 magnitude earthquake has struck southern Japan - causing fires to spread and dozens of houses to collapse, trapping people underneath. The powerful tremor was reported 6.6 miles southwest of Kumamoto at 4.03pm UK time (12.03am local time) - two-and-a-half hours after a 6.2 magnitude quake hit the same area, according to the US Geological Survey.
  
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• Microsoft sues US government over secret demands for customer data

  14-04-2016 18:53
  
  Microsoft is suing the US government over a federal law that lets authorities examine customer emails or online files without the individual's knowledge.
  
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• Live: Operation Broadcast In Virtual Reality

  14-04-2016 18:51
  
  An operation has been broadcast for the first time live and in full virtual reality.
  
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• Delay to Chilcot report 'unacceptable' and 'probably cost lives'

  14-04-2016 18:11
  The Iraq Inquiry report must be published before the "incomprehensible and unacceptable" expected date of June or July because people have already "probably" died as a result of the ongoing delays, MPs have been told.
  
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• Mice with squeak impediment help scientists study stammering

  14-04-2016 18:00
  Stammering mice with a squeak impediment have been created by scientists studying the affliction that beset King George VI.
  
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• Cancer cells force healthy tissue to help their growth and spread, study finds

  14-04-2016 18:00
  
  Cancer cells force neighbouring healthy tissue to betray the body and assist their growth and spread, a study has found.
  
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• Sheffield axe attacker 'was chopping bits off police officer'

  14-04-2016 17:41
  
  A police officer has been left seriously injured following an axe attack by a man who was "chopping bits off her", according to a member of the public who dragged her to safety.
  
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• BP Investors Reject Boss's £13.8m Pay Packet

  14-04-2016 17:16
  
  A majority of BP shareholders have rejected the company's pay report amid fury over a 20% rise in awards for chief executive Bob Dudley. The result of the vote - at the company's AGM in London - was unexpected and represented one of the biggest investor backlashes against corporate pay in modern times following the banking crisis and years of resulting debate over rewards for failure. The focus of the anger, in BP's case, was on Mr Dudley's $19.6m (£13.8m) package for 2015 - a year th
  
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• Earthquakes Hit Southern Japan And Vanuatu

  14-04-2016 17:02
  
  Earthquakes have struck east of Kumamoto in Southern Japan, and off the Pacific island of Vanuatu. The Japan Meteorological Agency said a strong quake with a  6.4 magnitude had struck a few miles off the southwestern island of Kyushu at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kms (6.2 miles). Japan's chief government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, said several buildings had collapsed.
  
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• Flat-pack assembly a surprisingly useful skill in space says Tim Peake

  14-04-2016 16:24
  Astronaut Tim Peake has said that being able to assemble an Ikea wardrobe is one of the skills which has helped him most in space.
  
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• 'Get Him Off' Cop Screamed During Axe Attack

  14-04-2016 16:07
  
  A man has described how he helped a female police officer who had been subjected to a 'frenzied' attack by a man armed with an axe. The officer, who is in a serious condition in hospital, was one of five police officers injured after being called to a domestic incident in the Gleadless area of Sheffield on Wednesday night. She suffered multiple serious injuries, and another male officer was also injured at the scene.
  
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• Kate opts for traditional skirt as Bhutan tour gets under way

  14-04-2016 15:59
  The Duchess of Cambridge wore a one-of-a-kind traditional Bhutanese skirt as she touched down with the Duke of Cambridge for a whirlwind tour of the small mountainous nation.
  
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• Iraq Inquiry report not expected to be published before summer, says minister

  14-04-2016 15:44
  The Iraq Inquiry report is still not expected to be published before summer, even though national security vetting will be completed by next month , a Cabinet Office minister has said.
  
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• Watch: Stobart Driver Reverses Along Motorway

  14-04-2016 15:42
  
  An Eddie Stobart lorry driver has been jailed for reversing along a motorway for 800 metres and being drunk at the wheel. When he was stopped, the lorry driver was found to be more than twice over the legal limit. Eddie Stobart issued a statement through the police saying the driver was sacked immediately after his driving came to light.
  
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• Migrants Picked Up From A Dinghy Off Dover

  14-04-2016 15:30
  
  Two men thought to be migrants from Iran have been found floating in an inflatable dinghy in the English Channel. The pair alerted a passing ship with a torch and made an emergency call from a mobile phone before they were rescued about a mile from the Port of Dover. RNLI lifeboats from Dover and Dungeness were launched before the master on board P&O's passing Pride of Canterbury ferry spotted a weak light at 3.30am.
  
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• UK ticket-holder stakes claim to £51.8m EuroMillions jackpot

  14-04-2016 15:22
  
  A claim has been made for the £51.8 million EuroMillions jackpot won by a UK ticket-holder on Tuesday, Camelot said.
  
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• BP shareholders vote against £13.8m pay deal for chief Bob Dudley

  14-04-2016 15:14
  
  Shareholders in oil giant BP gave the company's board a symbolic slap in the face when they voted to reject its remuneration report for the last year, which included a pay deal of 19.6 million dollars (£13.8 million) for chief executive Bob Dudley.
  
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• Warm weather won't last warns Met Office, as UK is set for frost and thunder

  14-04-2016 14:45
  Britain has been basking in warm temperatures and sunshine - but the summer-like weather is not here to stay.
  
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• Stephen Fry apologises for sexual abuse comments

  14-04-2016 14:45
  Stephen Fry has unreservedly apologised for remarks which appeared to suggest survivors of sexual abuse should "grow up".
  
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• Australia warns its citizens of increasing tensions around 1916 Rising centenary

  14-04-2016 14:45
  Australia has warned its citizens about increasing tensions in Ireland between dissident republicans and unionists around the 1916 Rising centenary.
  
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• Kate has a fit of the giggles as she tries her hand at archery in Bhutan

  14-04-2016 14:38
  
  The Duchess of Cambridge had a fit of the giggles when she tried her hand at Bhutan's national sport of archery and saw her arrow fall way short of the target.
  
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• Britain's eurosceptic opposition leader backs EU but attacks Cameron

  14-04-2016 14:29
  By Kylie MacLellan and Elizabeth Piper LONDON (Reuters) - The leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party urged voters on Thursday to back a campaign to remain in the European Union "warts and all", but his appeal did little to conceal his lingering euroscepticism. Underlining the challenges for a referendum that is blurring Britain's traditional political divisions, Jeremy Corbyn spent more time attacking Prime Minister David Cameron, who is leading efforts to remain in the EU, than praisi
  
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• BP Pay Row: 'We Hear You' Says Chairman

  14-04-2016 14:11
  
  Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg told investors in London: "We hear you loud and clear" amid outrage over the $19.6m (£13.8m) award to Bob Dudley for a year that saw the oil firm record its worst financial loss for 20 years. But Mr Svanberg agreed to talks with major shareholders on a way forward - with up to 25% tipped to vote against the remuneration report. Mr Dudley, who has led BP since the aftermath of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, was awarded a $1.4m (£990,000)
  
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• RBS To Axe 600 NatWest Jobs And Shut Branches

  14-04-2016 14:01
  
  State-backed lender Royal Bank of Scotland is axing around 600 jobs as it shuts 32 branches of NatWest. Trade union Unite said the banking group was to announce closures across its NatWest network in the North, the Midlands, east of England and London. In addition, hundreds of branches will change their opening hours, the union said.
  
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• Tributes As Blake's 7 Actor Gareth Thomas Dies

  14-04-2016 13:48
  
  Welsh actor Gareth Thomas, who starred in the cult sci-fi television show Blake's 7, has died at the age of 71. The tribute called Thomas "a fine actor, a real gentleman and always generous to his many fans. RADA-trained Thomas made his acting debut in 1965, before taking small roles in well-known series such as The Avengers, Z Cars and Coronation Street.
  
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• Minnie Mouse Gloves Spell Robber's Downfall

  14-04-2016 13:27
  
  A robber who wore a distinctive pair of children's Minnie Mouse gloves during a shop raid has been jailed for six years. West Midlands Police said the gloves led to the "ultimate downfall" of Shane Hadlington after he struck at the One Stop Shop in Roseville, near Dudley in the Black Country. When detectives reviewed CCTV footage they noticed one of the masked robbers walked with a distinctive limp, had a tattoo of the word "Dad" on his right wrist and was wearing the Minnie Mouse gloves.
  
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• UK airport sniffer dogs good at finding sausages, but not drugs

  14-04-2016 13:23
  A team of sniffer dogs set up at a British airport at a cost of 1.25 million pounds have proved adept at discovering small amounts of cheese and sausages but not so good at finding smuggled drugs, a report said on Thursday. An inspection of border security at Manchester Airport in northern England found that during a seven-month period, the six dogs had failed to find any illegal class A drugs, those considered the most dangerous such as heroin or cocaine. "The deterrent effect of the detection
  
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• NHS missing key targets, including A&E waiting times and bed-blocking

  14-04-2016 13:20
  The proportion of patients seen on time in A&E has hit its lowest level since records began.
  
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• New vehicle sales accelerate to 10-year high in 2015

  14-04-2016 13:20
  The number of new vehicles sold in Britain last year reached its highest level in a decade, official figures show.
  
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• Rolf Harris Pleads Not Guilty To Sex Charges

  14-04-2016 13:15
  
  Former television entertainer Rolf Harris has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of indecent assault and one of sexual assault. The Australian-born artist is accused of attacking a disabled woman and also of molesting a girl under the age of 14 at the BBC Television Centre in west London over the Christmas period in 1983. And 21 years later Harris, 86, is said to have struck again at Television Centre, allegedly indecently assaulting a woman there in 2004.
  
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• Man relives axe attack horror after woman police officer seriously injured

  14-04-2016 13:12
  
  A man has described how he dragged a badly injured woman police officer into his home by her body armour after witnessing a frenzied attack on her by a man wielding a axe.
  
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• Police Covered In Glass In Brick Attack On Car

  14-04-2016 12:58
  Police have released video of the moment officers were attacked with bricks after they stopped two men in car in Kirby, Merseyside. The dashboard camera shows a Volvo estate being pulled over by police over before the car's driver and passenger jump out and begin throwing bricks at the patrol car, smashing the windscreen. The officers were showered with glass but gave chase, pursuing the Volvo around Kirby before losing it on the M57.
  
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• EU approves new data protection rules to boost online privacy

  14-04-2016 12:36
  The European Union has approved new data protection rules to strengthen online privacy, streamline legislation between the 28 member states and boost police and security cooperation.
  
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• Paranoid schizophrenic prisoner killed Serco guard, jury finds

  14-04-2016 12:33
  A prisoner killed a female Serco guard by kicking her in the head like a "football", a jury has found.
  
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• Queen Elizabeth is still 'the boss' as she approaches 90th birthday

  14-04-2016 12:19
  By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth, the world's oldest monarch, turns 90 next Thursday showing no sign she will be retiring from the stage anytime soon. Since turning 65 in 1991, the nation has speculated about whether she would step aside in favour of her eldest son, Prince Charles. "The queen has a phenomenal drive and energy and I think the fact that she still works is what keeps her going," Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of "Majesty" magazine, told Reuters.
  
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• Tim Peake hails schools' experiments on seeds which travelled in space

  14-04-2016 12:14
  Astronaut Tim Peake says he is looking forward to the results of experiments by hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren on rocket seeds which have spent time with him in space.
  
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• Nothing half-hearted about Labour's EU campaign - Corbyn

  14-04-2016 12:07
  Jeremy Corbyn insisted there was "nothing half-hearted" about Labour's pro-EU campaign as he made his first major speech of the referendum battle.
  
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• Royal Bank of Scotland to axe 600 jobs and close 32 branches

  14-04-2016 12:02
  
  Around 600 jobs are being axed and 32 branches closed at Royal Bank of Scotland in the latest jobs cull at the state-backed lender.
  
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• Man jailed and banned for being 100 times over drug-drive limit

  14-04-2016 12:02
  
  A man has been caught behind the wheel while more than 100 times over the drug-drive limit.
  
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• Iranian migrants rescued from dinghy in English Channel

  14-04-2016 12:02
  
  Two Iranian men in an inflatable dinghy were rescued from the English Channel after the light on their mobile phone alerted a passing ship.
  
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• Post Malone and Justin Bieber 'like to rough-house'

  14-04-2016 12:01
  
  Singer and producer Post Malone has explained photographs of him "choking" Justin Bieber inside a Houston nightclub.
  
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