General news

• Dinosaurs Were Doomed 'Before Meteor Hit'

  18-04-2016 23:53
  
  Dinosaurs were heading for extinction millions of years before the meteor impact that is widely believed to have wiped them out, according to scientists. The scientists, whose findings are based on sophisticated statistical analysis and fossil evidence, believe the meteor impact 66 million years ago finished off a process that was already well under way. Lead researcher Dr Manabu Sakamoto, from the University of Reading, said: "While the asteroid impact is still the prime candidate for the dinos
  
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• UN ambassador Samantha Power's motorcade kills child in Cameroon

  18-04-2016 23:50
  
  Power, aides and journalists were headed to meet refugees and others displaced by the years of brutal attacks across west Africa in the war against Boko HaramUN ambassador Samantha Power’s trip to Cameroon’s frontlines in the war against Boko Haram started horrifically on Monday as an armored Jeep in her motorcade struck and killed a young boy who darted into the road.The incident occurred near the small city of Mokolo, in northern Cameroon, where Power, her aides and accompanying jo
  
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• 'An international disgrace': Jesse Jackson calls for Chicago to close Homan Square

  18-04-2016 23:38
  
  The civil rights leader condemned police department for alleged human rights violations at its ‘black site’ where thousands of detainees have been heldThe Rev Jesse Jackson has called for Chicago police to close the warehouse it uses for thousands of incommunicado detentions and interrogations, condemning Homan Square as an “international disgrace”.Criticism from the civil rights leader comes as the Chicago police department is under heavy pressure for reform, following a
  
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• MPs to investigate British arms fairs after 'evidence of criminality'

  18-04-2016 23:26
  
  Inquiry coincides with case where protestors were acquitted for blocking DSEI arms event after judge ruled they had acted to prevent illegal tradingMPs will scrutinise British weapons fairs after a judge ruled last week that there was “clear, credible evidence” that criminal wrongdoing has occurred at the UK’s largest arms event.A court on Friday dismissed charges against protesters who blocked the road outside the Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEI), after they
  
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• Marcella recap: episode three – sudden death and spaniels

  18-04-2016 23:00
  
  There are 565 suspects on the loose, and they’re all up to no good: chaining people up, running people over repeatedly and crucifying doggiesMarcella trundles on, never quite proving gripping but featuring enough jumpy moments to hold my attention, most notably this week with the sudden and horrible death of Cara and the untimely demise of a spaniel. I’m hoping that as the finger of blame slowly shifts towards Marcella, things might get a bit more engrossing. Anna Friel’s scram
  
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• Government Defeated In Legal Aid Test Plan

  18-04-2016 22:59
  
  Judges have overturned Government plans to deny legal aid to people who have not lived in the UK continuously for at least 12 months. The Supreme Court announced it is to allow an appeal by campaigners against proposals for a so-called residence test, which they argued restricted access to justice for foreign-born individuals in civil cases. The ruling was a victory for legal charity Public Law Project (PLP), represented by law firm Bindmans.
  
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• Tottenham burn through Stoke as Kane and Alli put heat on Leicester

  18-04-2016 22:58
  
  By the time Tottenham Hotspur had completed their night’s work, featuring two more goals each for Harry Kane and the exceptional Dele Alli, nobody could be in any doubt about the durability of this team and the collective belief among Mauricio Pochettino’s players that there is still time to catch and overhaul the only side above them in the Premier League. Related: Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League – live!Continue reading...
  
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• Hamilton wins Pulitzer prize for drama: 'a landmark American musical'

  18-04-2016 22:51
  
  The judges gave awards to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s multiethnic Broadway hit, a Washington Post reporter’s book on Isis, the AP’s exposé on slavery and moreHamilton, the Broadway musical that has been a critical and commercial smash hit, has won the Pulitzer prize for drama.The judges called Lin-Manuel Miranda’s play – which tells the story of the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton and the American revolution in rap using a multiethnic cast – “
  
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• I worry about London's security, says Sadiq Khan

  18-04-2016 22:36
  
  Labour candidate for London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he is "not reassured" the capital's emergency services are prepared to respond to a Mumbai-style terrorist attack.
  
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• Steel Talks 'Constructive' But No Deal Agreed

  18-04-2016 22:30
  
  Business secretary Sajid Javid gave a positive verdict on the talks, saying China - largely blamed for the problems - had committed to deal with its overcapacity of steel production. Mr Javid said the summit in Brussels with major steel-producing countries including China had been "constructive", though he admitted there was unlikely to be an "overnight solution" to its overproduction. The UK steel industry has shed thousands of jobs in recent months with the future of 15,000 more
  
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• Osborne: Brexit could mean £36 billion less for public services

  18-04-2016 22:29
  
  Leaving the European Union could mean £36 billion less to spend on public services, according to a Treasury analysis launched by George Osborne.
  
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• The Phenom review: baseball movie throws a curveball

  18-04-2016 22:00
  
  Ethan Hawke impresses as an abusive father to a major-league rookie pitcher in an intriguing character study that’s admirably hard to pin down From its graceful opening credits sequence, which, backed by an elegant classical music score, fixes the viewer’s gaze on some tasteful wallpaper, writer and director Noah Buschel’s The Phenom immediately goes out of its way to subvert all the expectations associated with baseball movies.Despite its rigorously formal leanings, The Phenom
  
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• Boston Marathon: Ethiopians Hayle and Baysa celebrate victory

  18-04-2016 21:59
  
  Lemi Berhanu Hayle won the men’s race in 2:12.45 from defending champion Lelisa Desisa, while compatriot Atsede Baysa won the women’s raceThe Ethiopians ran past the Kenyans on their way to the Boston Marathon finish line Monday and nearly swept them off the victory podium.Lemi Berhanu Hayle won the 120th edition of the men’s race, and Atsede Baysa overcame a 37-second deficit on the women’s side for Ethiopia’s first-ever sweep of the world’s most prestigious
  
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• Russian fighter jet barrel-rolled over US warship, Pentagon says

  18-04-2016 21:58
  
  The ‘unsafe and unprofessional’ incident came just days after Russian aircraft repeatedly buzzed the USS Donald Cook A Russian fighter jet that flew close to a US spy plane last week performed a barrel roll during the manoeuvre, according to a Pentagon spokesman.Pentagon spokesman Navy captain Jeff Davis said a Russian Su-27 flew less than 50ft (15 meters) from the wingtip of an RC-135 reconnaissance plane in international airspace over the Baltic Sea last Thursday. Continue reading.
  
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• Those who can’t afford a home are being abandoned | Polly Toynbee

  18-04-2016 21:46
  
  Cash from council sell-offs will go to high-earning first-time buyers. It’s a huge blow to social housingIs this the worst thing this government has done? That’s a tough choice for those low-earning households written off as unlikely to vote Tory. Governments come and go, attempting to reverse each other’s actions – Labour spends more, then Tories cut back, but the housing and planning bill now in the Lords will do virtually irreparable damage. Related: The new housing an
  
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• Steve Bell on George Osborne and the EU referendum – cartoon

  18-04-2016 21:45
  
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• Carlos Carvalhal signs contract extension at Sheffield Wednesday

  18-04-2016 21:38
  
  • Head coach rewarded for guiding club into Championship play-off contention
  • Backroom staff also have Hillsborough contracts extendedSheffield Wednesday’s head coach, Carlos Carvalhal, has been rewarded with a contract extension for guiding the club into play-off contention. Carvalhal moved to Hillsborough last summer and has taken them into the top six of the Championship with four matches remaining. Related: Debutant Andre Dozzell grabs Ipswich a point at Sheffield WednesdayC
  
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• MoJ plan for legal aid residence test thrown out by supreme court

  18-04-2016 21:30
  
  Ruling is humiliating setback for Michael Gove, who will now be unable to introduce scheme without full parliamentary debateGovernment attempts to introduce a discriminatory residence test for anyone claiming legal aid have been summarily thrown out in a unanimous supreme court ruling.
  Halfway through a two-day hearing, the bench of seven justices in the UK’s highest court abruptly halted the case and announced on Monday afternoon that it had found against the Ministry of Justice. Continue
  
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• Government defeated over legal aid residence test plans

  18-04-2016 21:20
  
  The Government has suffered a defeat in the highest court in the land over its plans to restrict access by foreign-born individuals to legal aid in civil cases.
  
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• Kyle Edmund beats Lukas Rosol in Bucharest first round

  18-04-2016 21:06
  
  • Briton serves 11 aces to knock out the 2013 champion
  • Next opponent is the world No37 Guillermo García-LópezBritain’s Kyle Edmund is through to the second round of the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy in Bucharest after victory against Lukas Rosol.Edmund, 21, won both sets on a tie-break to record a 7-6, 7-6 victory against his 30-year-old opponent from the Czech Republic. He will now face the Spanish world No37, Guillermo García-López, who had a bye in th
  
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• Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League – live!

  18-04-2016 21:04
  
  Premier League league updates from the 8pm BST kick-off
  Mauricio Pochettino: players will deserve statues if Spurs win titleEmail [email protected] or tweet @Simon_Burnton8.04pm BST4 mins: Stoke hit the ball long towards Bojan, but Alderweireld stretches to volley the ball off the pitch for a throw-in. “Just going over the pre-match stats about Leicester winning the title,” writes Austin Baird. “Can you confirm that Sunderland can now no longer qualify for the Champ
  
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• Ecuador earthquake death toll rises to 350 with many still trapped

  18-04-2016 21:04
  
  More than 300 aftershocks recorded and Spanish Red Cross says as many as 100,000 people may need assistanceThe death toll from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Ecuador has risen to 350, and many survivors are believed to still be trapped inside collapsed buildings.The security minister, César Navas, announced the updated toll and said rescuers were continuing to seek more victims and survivors. Continue reading...
  
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• Candidates make final push in New York ahead of Tuesday primary – campaign live

  18-04-2016 21:04
  
  Bernie Sanders draws record crowd in Brooklyn as race takes darker toneDonald Trump receives a hero’s welcome in Republican Staten IslandGeorge Clooney admits money he raised for Hillary Clinton is ‘obscene’ 8.04pm BSTAs impressive as Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders’s New York campaign has been, writes Guardian Washington bureau chief Dan Roberts, those crowds of thousands may not translate where it counts tomorrow – at the ballot box:But in the television studios
  
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• Scientists say dinosaurs were already disappearing before giant meteor impact

  18-04-2016 21:00
  
  Dinosaurs were plodding down the path to extinction millions of years before the meteor impact that is widely believed to have wiped them out, say scientists.
  
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• Dinosaurs in decline long before asteroid catastrophe, study reveals

  18-04-2016 21:00
  
  New research resolves longstanding controversy, showing dinosaurs were already heading for extinction before the asteroid strike that sealed their fateDinosaurs were in decline long before the asteroid struck that spelt their doom, new research suggests.Dinosaurs were on the up and up from the late Triassic about 220m years ago, with new species arising faster than others went extinct. But the study reveals their fortunes had begun to change long before the catastrophic six-mile-wide asteroid hi
  
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• Alzheimer's research scientists encouraged by protein finding

  18-04-2016 21:00
  An immune system protein shows promise as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease, early research has shown.
  
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• Govia Thameslink takes Aslef union to court over longer trains dispute

  18-04-2016 20:58
  
  Gatwick Express service operator launches legal action after drivers refuse to operate new 12-carriage trains without guardsThe operator of the Gatwick Express train service is taking the Aslef union to the high court after its drivers refused to carry passengers on new longer trains.Govia Thameslink Railway has launched legal action over what it described as the “baffling” refusal of drivers to run the 12-carriage trains without guards. Continue reading...
  
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• Thousands miss out on first-choice primary school

  18-04-2016 20:57
  
  Labour says academies plan will make situation worse, after one in six families in some areas fail to secure place at preferred primaryTens of thousands of children failed to get into their first-choice primary school on national offer day in England, and Labour said the situation would get worse as a result of government plans to make all schools academies.In London, where demand for primary places is highest, one in six families learned on Monday that they had failed to get a place for their c
  
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• Labour tells Jeremy Hunt to clarify position on junior doctors' contract

  18-04-2016 20:49
  
  Opposition ask attorney general to intervene after health secretary fails to give conclusive reply to question about his legal right to impose contract termsLabour has called on the attorney general to clear up the mounting confusion over whether the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has the power to impose a new contract on junior doctors. Heidi Alexander, the shadow health secretary, has written to Jeremy Wright asking him to clarify whether Hunt has the legal right to force 45,000 NHS trainee me
  
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• Jeremy Hunt ramps up rhetoric over imposing contract on doctors

  18-04-2016 20:49
  
  Health secretary’s response to question in Commons raises uncertainty about his legal right to impose termsJeremy Hunt has revived his threat to “impose” a new contract on junior doctors, despite government lawyers and his own ministry having said that he was merely “introducing” it.
  His stance deepened the confusion over the government’s tactics towards NHS trainee medics and the uncertainty surrounding his legal right to impose updated terms and conditions o
  
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• Stuart Broad and Steven Finn find their rhythm for Notts and Middlesex

  18-04-2016 20:41
  
  • England bowlers among the wickets at Old Trafford and Lord’s
  • Sam Robson compiles career-best 231 as Middlesex rack up 452The England pacemen Stuart Broad and Steven Finn were both among the wickets, for Nottinghamshire and Middlesex respectively, in their County Championship matches.Broad snared three Lancashire batsmen, including his England colleague James Anderson for six, but could not prevent the hosts closing on 311 for eight at Old Trafford and securing a 69-run lead f
  
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• Jerusalem rocked by suspected bomb explosion on bus

  18-04-2016 20:37
  
  Investigation under way after explosion in south-west of city leaves at least 21 people injured, two of them seriouslyA suspected bomb explosion on a Jerusalem bus has injured 21 people, two of them seriously.The explosion, which if confirmed as the result of a bomb would be the first in Jerusalem since the end of the second intifada a decade ago, gutted the number 12 Egged bus and set fire to a second passing bus and car. Most of the injuries occurred when the second bus was caught in the blast
  
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• Jerusalem rocked by bomb explosion on bus

  18-04-2016 20:37
  
  Investigation under way after blast in south-west of city leaves at least 21 people injured, two of them seriouslyA bomb explosion on a Jerusalem bus has injured 21 people, two of them seriously, according to Israeli security sources.The explosion, the first in Jerusalem since the end of the second intifada a decade ago, gutted the number 12 Egged bus and set fire to a second passing bus, as well as a car. Most of the injuries occurred when the second bus was caught in the blast from the first.
  
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• 54 percent of Britons would vote to stay in EU, 46 percent to leave - ICM poll

  18-04-2016 20:30
  Fifty-four percent of Britons would vote to remain in the European Union while 46 percent would opt to leave, according to an ICM telephone poll for the Guardian newspaper published on Monday. The poll, carried on the Guardian's website, excluded those who do not know how they will vote in the June 23 referendum. A parallel online poll by ICM showed "In" and "Out" voters tied on 50 percent each.
  
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• Man charged after woman found dead and man critically injured at house

  18-04-2016 20:21
  
  A man has been charged with murder and attempted murder after the body of a woman and a critically injured man were found at a house in Essex.
  
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• Sir Martin Sorrell: I'm worth every penny I'm paid

  18-04-2016 20:19
  
  Founder of advertising giant WPP defends likely £70m pay package, arguing building the company took 30 years of hard workSir Martin Sorrell has defended his bumper pay package, arguing that he has put three decades of his life into building WPP from a maker of wire baskets into a £21bn global marketing business.Sorrell, whose total remuneration is likely to hit £70m when full details are revealed in WPP’s annual report in the summer, is set to face a backlash from shareho
  
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• Inquest jury views police footage of teenager's death in river Lea

  18-04-2016 20:16
  
  Only person in the water trying to help Jack Susianta was a rower, while officers asked: ‘Are you happy for us to go in?’An inquest jury examining the death of a 17-year-old who jumped into a river while experiencing drug-induced psychosis and being chased by police has been shown video footage of his last moments.The images, shot from a police helicopter overhead, show Jack Susianta in close-up, treading water in the river Lea in east London. He lifts his arms above his head and sin
  
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• 'Here it is a big dream': Syrians taken in by Vatican begin new life in Rome

  18-04-2016 20:13
  
  Trastevere becomes temporary home for 12 Syrian asylum seekers after Pope Francis offers sanctuary after Lesbos visitHot water, a plate of lasagna, the pleasure of a walk, and a night of peaceful sleep. Then, a breakfast with coffee, milk, bread and jam.The twelve Syrian asylum seekers woke up to a new world in the heart of Rome on Monday, in the bustling neighbourhood of Trastevere, which has become their temporary new home after Pope Francis took the three Muslim families – six adults an
  
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• Almost half of world's superyachts have UK or US owners, survey finds

  18-04-2016 20:13
  
  Report says Americans own one in three of the luxury vessels and global rich spent $2.68bn on them last yearAlmost half of the world’s superyachts belong to the moneyed inhabitants of the UK and US, a new survey suggests, as the global rich spent $2.68bn (£1.88bn) on their floating status symbols last year. Owners based in the US own one in three of the world’s luxury superyachts – defined as a vessel of 30 metres or more – and the yachts have an average value of $1
  
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• Jian Ghomeshi trial: first complainant claiming sexual assault goes public

  18-04-2016 20:11
  
  ‘If I’m going to be an advocate for this, I can’t always be in the shadows,’ said Linda Redgrave, who testified against the Canadian radio starThe first complainant in the trial of fallen Canadian radio star Jian Ghomeshi has gone public with her identity, in hopes of using her own experience in the courtroom to help sexual assault survivors better navigate the country’s legal system. “If I’m going to be an advocate for this, I can’t always be in t
  
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• Woman hops fence to tiger enclosure at Toronto Zoo to retrieve hat – video

  18-04-2016 20:01
  
  The Toronto Zoo is investigating a YouTube video that shows a woman climbing into part of its tiger enclosure – which caused the animal to lunge at her – but the Sumatran tiger remained behind a second fence and the woman left unharmedToronto zoo investigating woman who hopped tiger fence for a hat
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• Ministers drop plans for war powers law

  18-04-2016 19:58
  
  Defence secretary says he does not want to be constrained by a commitment to seek MPs’ approval before deploying troopsMinisters have abandoned plans to introduce a war powers act that would enshrine into law a commitment to seek parliamentary approval before deploying British troops in combat.Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, told MPs: “I should … emphasise that the prime minister and I have to take decisions about the deployment of ships and planes and troops.” Th
  
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• The 60-year itch: six decades of marriage guidance from sitcoms

  18-04-2016 19:50
  
  What do Friends, The Liver Birds and Modern Family have in common? They’ve helped change our attitudes to relationships, tackling issues from pre-marital sex to empty nest syndrome, single parenthood and gay marriage In Shakespearean comedy, a wedding is a happy ending. But in a TV sitcom, it’s more likely to be an unhappy beginning. At best, a married couple will endure DIY or cookery disasters as their tyrannical boss suddenly drops by for dinner. At worst, a husband will throw a s
  
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• Bed tricks and broken women: Shakespeare's guide to love

  18-04-2016 19:45
  
  Every romance is also a bromance, you go to bed never knowing who you’ll wake up with, and the strongest marriage is the Macbeths’ … Shakespeare’s tangled take on love. Illustration: Matthew RichardsonShakespeare’s Guide to Love: what would be in there? What wouldn’t be in there is marriage. Shakespeare, our national playwright, is no poster boy for wedlock. Continue reading...
  
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• Princes To Host Obamas For Dinner At Palace

  18-04-2016 19:44
  
  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will host US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle for dinner on Friday. Earlier in the day, Mr Obama and the First Lady will join the Queen at Windsor Castle as part of her 90th birthday celebrations. William and Kate have just returned from a visit to Bhutan and India, where the couple met Bollywood stars , fed orphaned elephants , and retraced the steps of Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal .
  
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• Frank Field proposes national wage top-up for lower paid over-50s

  18-04-2016 19:39
  
  Labour MP and welfare reform campaigner says idea would help counter higher unemployment rate among 50–64 age groupWorkers over 50 forced into lower-paid work after losing their jobs would receive an earnings top-up worth £200 a week under a national wage plan proposed by the Labour MP Frank Field.The longstanding campaigner for welfare reform said employees aged between 50 and 64 should be eligible for government financial support worth £10,000 a year for two years provided th
  
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• Romania may be booted off Eurovision over TV station's debt

  18-04-2016 19:38
  
  National station has amassed €10m debt to the European Broadcasting Union, with singer Ovidiu Anton’s place in the contest now in questionRomania says it has been warned it could be excluded from this year’s Eurovision song contest after the national television station TVR amassed a debt of €10m (£7.9m) to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).In a statement, TVR said it had been told it risked being barred from broadcasting the annual singing show, and Romania preven
  
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• Farmers' interests best served in EU, says NFU

  18-04-2016 19:38
  Farmers' interests are best served by remaining in the European Union, the National Farmers' Union has concluded.
  
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• Syrian opposition postpones participation in peace talks

  18-04-2016 19:35
  
  Sources say opposition HNC testing whether UN or major powers will take a tougher line on Assad regimeUN-sponsored Syrian peace talks are facing a new crisis after opposition negotiators decided to delay their participation in the formal process until officials representing President Bashar al-Assad start to discuss the creation of a transitional government in Damascus – which they have so far refused to do.
  Riyad Hijab, head of the opposition higher negotiations committee (HNC), was due t
  
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• Carol Ann Duffy to mark phasing out of gas meters with new poem

  18-04-2016 19:33
  
  Poet laureate concedes that the work, marking the replacement of traditional utility meters with ‘smart meters’, is one of her more unusual projectsPoetic inspiration can come from anywhere, be it windswept landscapes, dysfunctional parents – and even, it seems, gas meters.Carol Ann Duffy has revealed that her next work as the nation’s poet laureate will mark the passing of traditional “whirring” gas and electricity meters that have sat in British homes for mo
  
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