General news

• In a pickle...forklift truck driver buried under tons of cheese

  06-05-2016 23:16
  A forklift truck driver who was buried under tons of cheese for eight hours amazed rescue workers after emerging unscathed.
  
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• Corbyn survives first major electoral test as Labour leader

  06-05-2016 22:59
  
  Jeremy Corbyn appears to have survived a mauling from voters in his first major electoral test as Labour leader, after apparent victory for Sadiq Khan in the London mayoral contest gave a positive spin to an otherwise dismal set of results for the party.
  
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• MasterChef winner Jane Devonshire reveals 10-year cancer battle

  06-05-2016 22:32
  
  MasterChef winner Jane Devonshire revealed her 10-year battle with cancer as she claimed victory on the cooking show.
  
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• Labour's Khan Wins London Mayoral Election

  06-05-2016 20:34
  
  Labour's Sadiq Khan has broken the Conservatives' eight-year hold on the London mayoralty by defeating Tory rival Zac Goldsmith. The Tooting MP will become the first Muslim Mayor of London after he emerged as the victor over Mr Goldsmith and 11 other contenders. Sky News election analyst Michael Thrasher said: "We're looking at the distribution of first votes and Khan is a long way ahead of Goldsmith on that.
  
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• Sadiq Khan 'set to be named London mayor'

  06-05-2016 20:19
  
  Labour's Sadiq Khan is set to be named London mayor, breaking the Conservatives' eight-year hold on City Hall.
  
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• Labour's Khan becomes first Muslim mayor of London after bitter campaign

  06-05-2016 20:12
  By William James and Elizabeth Piper LONDON (Reuters) - Sadiq Khan, the son of a bus driver, became London's first Muslim mayor on Friday, seeing off a Conservative challenger who attempted to link him to extremism and securing a much-needed victory for his opposition Labour Party. As New York mayor Bill de Blasio sent his congratulations, Khan had yet to receive official notification of his victory, which would go some way to soothing the wounds of Labour which suffered losses in Thursday's oth
  
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• No easy ride for legislation, potential allies warn Sturgeon

  06-05-2016 20:06
  
  Nicola Sturgeon has announced she will lead a minority administration at Holyrood - but her potential allies have warned she will not get an easy ride implementing the SNP's programme for government.
  
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• DUP Leader 'Confident' In Assembly Elections

  06-05-2016 19:59
  
  Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster has said she is expecting to be returned as Northern Ireland's First Minister. As election counts continue across the country, Mrs Foster has claimed her party is on course to again emerge as the largest in the Northern Ireland Assembly. The DUP leader topped the poll in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, after she was elected on the first count with more than 8,000 first preference votes.
  
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• Labour's Khan elected mayor of London - Sky News

  06-05-2016 19:46
  Labour lawmaker Sadiq Khan was elected mayor of London on Friday, beating the ruling Conservatives' candidate Zac Goldsmith to the coveted position, Sky News reported. The official result was due to be announced shortly and Sky based the report on its own calculations. The position of London mayor provides an influential platform to lobby the government in the interests of London's 8.6 million residents.
  
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• Prince Harry given guided tour of Invictus Games venues

  06-05-2016 19:21
  Prince Harry has got his first glimpse of the venues that will host the 2016 Invictus Games.
  
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• Tories 'facing police probes into election spending breaches'

  06-05-2016 19:12
  
  The Conservatives face a series of police investigations into allegations they breached election spending rules.
  
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• 'Humiliating' U-Turn On Forced Academies Plan

  06-05-2016 19:08
  
  The Government has dropped plans to force all schools across England to become academies. The controversial policy - which risked a potential revolt from Tory backbenchers - is now an "aspiration" rather than a compulsory change. Two-thirds of secondary schools have already converted into academies - independent schools funded by central government rather than a local authority.
  
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• Wanted Man Hands Himself In After Shooting

  06-05-2016 19:00
  
  Charlie Broadway, 23, is being held on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. Police began a manhunt for Broadway after one man was shot dead and another injured at Chubbards Cross caravan site near Ilton, Somerset. Detective Superintendent Andy Bevan said officers wanted to speak to John Broadway, 37, and Donna Broadway, 26, Charlie's brother and wife, respectively.
  
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• Euro 2016: what hopes do you have for your team?

  06-05-2016 18:38
  
  Ahead of the tournament we’d like to hear from football fans across Europe about what expectations you have for your teamFrance will kick off Euro 2016 against Romania at the Stade de France in exactly five weeks’ time. The tournament hosts are hoping to win the European Championship for a third time, while holders Spain aim to bounce back from their disappointing World Cup showing two years ago.With 24 teams competing across 10 venues in nine French cities, football fever is likely
  
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• John McDonnell: Labour enjoyed 'remarkable success' in elections

  06-05-2016 18:26
  Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Labour had enjoyed "remarkable success" across the country, despite the party suffering a dismal night at the polls in Scotland.
  
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• Kirsty Williams quits as Welsh Lib Dem leader

  06-05-2016 18:24
  Kirsty Williams has quit as leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats after the party lost all but one of its seats in Cardiff Bay.
  
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• Major Reversals Show Government's Weaknesses

  06-05-2016 18:12
  
  On a day when Labour's Scottish election woes might well have dominated politics, the Government has performed a spectacular U-turn on a key policy announced by George Osborne in the Budget. The plan contained in Nicky Morgan's Education White Paper to make all schools into academies has been ditched. Major reversals have become a feature of the running of this Government: tax credits, disability payments, union laws, hunting, short money, Sunday trading, the Dubs amendment on refugee children,
  
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• Cilla Black's treasured Lowry paintings could fetch more than £500,000

  06-05-2016 17:58
  Three paintings by L.S. Lowry which were owned by singer and television presenter Cilla Black are due to go under the hammer.
  
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• Man wanted over caravan park shooting hands himself into police

  06-05-2016 17:36
  
  A suspected gunman wanted in connection with a shooting that left one man dead and another injured has been arrested after handing himself into police, officers said.
  
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• Voters 'do not see Labour under Jeremy Corbyn as credible party of government'

  06-05-2016 17:18
  
  Voters do not see Labour under Jeremy Corbyn as a credible party of government, a member of the shadow cabinet has admitted after the party suffered a dismal night in the "super Thursday" elections.
  
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• Bosses take bigger share of top British firms' profits

  06-05-2016 16:47
  The average pay for chief executives of a company in the blue chip FTSE 100 index was 5.23 million pounds ($7.6 million)last year, down from 5.36 million in 2014, a Reuters examination of corporate filings shows. In 2005, CEO compensation, including pensions and share awards, was just 0.1 percent of pre-tax earnings, the Reuters analysis of annual reports over the period shows. Rapid growth in executive pay has long drawn criticism from some politicians and media headlines denouncing corporate "
  
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• Management team's Tata Steel proposals could threaten 1,000 jobs

  06-05-2016 16:45
  The management team interested in buying Tata Steel has raised the prospect of cutting 1,000 jobs if it is successful.
  
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• Government drops plans to force all schools in England to become academies

  06-05-2016 16:34
  The Government has dropped plans to force all schools in England to become academies in the face of opposition from teaching unions, Tory MPs and councils.
  
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• Academies U-Turn: Government Backs Down

  06-05-2016 16:24
  
  The Government has backed down on its plans to force all schools in England to become academies. Announcing the U-turn, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said the Government had "listened" to opposition from MPs, including from some on its own backbench, and from the education sector.
  
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• Footballer cleared of rape condemns anonymity granted to accuser

  06-05-2016 15:59
  
  A former Premier League player cleared of raping a woman filmed in bed with footballers days before taking the stand has criticised the anonymity granted to his accuser.
  
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• Burglars Pour Boiling Water On Husband And Wife

  06-05-2016 15:53
  
  Burglars poured boiling water on a husband and wife and left them with severe burns during a "horrendous" two-hour ordeal in Kent. They were beaten and threatened with knives, as well as being scalded and left with potentially "life changing injuries", according to Kent Police. "The victims of this crime have been subjected to a horrendous ordeal," said Kent Police's Sergeant Simon Harrold.
  
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• Corbyn Vow To Scotland After 'Staggering' Loss

  06-05-2016 15:29
  
  Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to "re-establish" Labour in Scotland after the party recorded its worst result there since 1910. The party won just 24 Holyrood seats and were overtaken by the Conservatives, who became the official opposition with a record 31 seats - a result described by David Cameron as "absolutely stunning". The SNP tallied 63 seats but failed to retain an overall majority - with leader Nicole Sturgeon later declaring her intention to form an "inclusive" minority government rat
  
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• Nicola Sturgeon ready to lead minority government after SNP election win

  06-05-2016 15:27
  
  Nicola Sturgeon has announced she will lead a minority Scottish Government after securing a "clear and unequivocal mandate" in the elections.
  
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• Jail Staff Walk Out Over 'Dickensian' Conditions

  06-05-2016 15:09
  
  Dozens of staff have walked out of Wormwood Scrubs prison over concerns about "Dickensian" health and safety conditions. Mike Rolfe, of the Prison Officers' Association, said the protest came after a number of assaults on staff. The Prison Service confirmed that an incident was under way and said steps were being taken to resolve it.
  
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• Ex-prostitute in married actor injunction case 'regrets comments to press'

  06-05-2016 14:55
  The former prostitute at the centre of an injunction over claims that she slept with a famous British actor has said she regrets speaking to the press.
  
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• Burglars pour boiling water on couple in 'horrendous ordeal'

  06-05-2016 14:55
  A husband and wife have been treated for serious burns after they had boiling water poured on them during a two-hour burglary ordeal.
  
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• Voters 'do not see Labour under Corbyn as credible party of government'

  06-05-2016 14:34
  
  Voters do not see Labour under Jeremy Corbyn as a "credible party of future government," a member of the shadow cabinet has admitted.
  
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• UK lawmaker appoints Philip Green's former foes to help in BHS probe

  06-05-2016 14:26
  The chairman of a British lawmakers committee has risked ratcheting up a row with retail tycoon Philip Green by recommending the appointment of two former adversaries of Green as advisors on an inquiry into the collapse of department store BHS. BHS was placed into administration, a form of creditor protection, by owner Retail Acquisitions on April 25, putting the 88-year-old retailer at risk of disappearing from British shopping streets and jeopardizing 11,000 jobs. Frank Field, the opposition L
  
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• Anti-Semitism Row: Another Labour Suspension

  06-05-2016 14:19
  
  Labour has suspended another party member pending an investigation into alleged anti-Semitism.
  
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• Corbyn: Labour 'has building to do' after Scottish elections humiliation

  06-05-2016 14:01
  
  Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has admitted the party has "a lot of building to do" in Scotland amid devastating losses which saw it pushed into a humiliating third place behind the Conservatives.
  
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• Sonic net could stop collisions between birds and planes

  06-05-2016 13:57
  
  Installing a sonic net around airfields could prevent collisions between birds and aircraft, a study suggests.
  
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• Under fire police chief 'backed colleague despite misconduct'

  06-05-2016 13:48
  
  An under fire police chief allowed a colleague, who pressured a vulnerable member of staff into two sex acts, to stay on so he would not lose his pension, a tribunal heard.
  
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• Labour Majority Gone In Wales As UKIP Wins Seats

  06-05-2016 13:48
  
  UKIP has won its first seats in the Welsh Assembly - adding to Labour's electoral woes as the party fell just short of a majority in Wales. Former Tory MPs Neil Hamilton and Mark Reckless are among six UKIP members who have been elected on regional lists representing Mid and West Wales, North Wales, South Wales East and South Wales West. Party leader Nigel Farage said UKIP would be a "big voice for Brexit" in the run-up to the EU referendum on 23 June - and would "engage constructively" in the A
  
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• The battle for Plymouth: politics in the age of chaos – video

  06-05-2016 13:45
  
  The Tories thought the Corbyn effect would trigger a Conservative breakthrough. Labour had a proud local record and an acclaimed leader. But when two tribes went to war in one of Labour’s few Southern English strongholds, who came out on top? John Harris discovers that the chaotic state of English politics means that no one knows anything any moreUK elections live blog: the latest news and reactionContinue reading...
  
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• Labour take hit in regional elections, leads in London mayor race

  06-05-2016 13:38
  By Elizabeth Piper and Elisabeth O'Leary LONDON/EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Britain's main opposition Labour Party lost less ground than expected in local elections on Friday and was leading the race for London's mayor, giving new leader Jeremy Corbyn enough ammunition to brush off his critics. Labour officials said the party's overall performance - though poor - was strong enough to stop any immediate challenge to Corbyn, who opponents criticise for pressing a leftist agenda that lacks broad appeal.
  
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• Police plea to fugitive gunman after fatal shooting at caravan park

  06-05-2016 13:34
  
  Detectives have appealed to an on-the-run gunman to give himself up following a shooting that left one man dead and another injured.
  
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• Farage: UKIP 'Biting Into Labour' In Wales

  06-05-2016 13:23
  
  UKIP has won its first seats in the Welsh Assembly - adding to Labour's electoral woes as the party fell just short of a majority in Wales. Leader Nathan Gill and former Tory MPs Neil Hamilton and Mark Reckless are among six party members who have been elected on regional lists representing Mid and West Wales, North Wales, South Wales East and South Wales West. Party leader Nigel Farage said UKIP would be a "big voice for Brexit" in the run-up to the EU referendum on 23 June - and would "engage
  
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• Judges back Theresa May's bid to deport Somalian convicted of rape

  06-05-2016 13:21
  Home Secretary Theresa May has won the latest round of a human rights fight with a Somalian immigrant she wants to deport because he was convicted of rape.
  
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• Ex-Sunderland footballer Cabral cleared of rape

  06-05-2016 13:20
  
  A former Premier League footballer has been cleared of raping a woman he met in a nightclub.
  
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• Corbyn's Vow To Scotland After Labour Thrashed

  06-05-2016 13:18
  
  Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to "re-establish" Labour in Scotland after the party recorded its worst result there since 1910. Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale admitted it was a "very disappointing night" but told Sky News she would not resign, while SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon described Labour's collapse in support, particularly in its Glasgow heartland, as "quite staggering". There was better news for Mr Corbyn in England, where Labour has so far retained key councils and lost control of only o
  
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• CCTV Shows Pet Cat Shot And Stamped To Death

  06-05-2016 13:17
  
  Two men have been filmed shooting a cat and then stamping it to death outside a property in Essex.
  
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• Leytonstone Tube Stabbing Suspect In Court

  06-05-2016 13:03
  
  A man who allegedly stabbed a stranger "for Syria" at Leytonstone Tube station has been accused of threatening four more people with the knife. Muhiddin Mire, 30 appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of a 56-year-old man who was attacked from behind in front of shocked travellers at the east London station on 5 December. Mire, of Sansom Road, Leytonstone, is accused of punching his victim to the ground and kicking him repeatedly, before grabbing his head and cutting a 5in (12c
  
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• Polls guru Sir Lynton Crosby avoids Goldsmith campaign questions at investiture

  06-05-2016 13:02
  
  The Conservatives' election strategist, Sir Lynton Crosby, dodged questions about Zac Goldsmith's London mayoral campaign as he received a knighthood from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.
  
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• Labour retains grip on Welsh Assembly as Ukip celebrates successes

  06-05-2016 12:42
  
  Labour will retain their grip on power in a very different Welsh Assembly which sees Ukip join the institution's ranks for the first time.
  
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• UK polar ship named after Attenborough but Boaty McBoatface lives on

  06-05-2016 12:25
  A new 200 million pound polar research ship is to be named after veteran BBC naturalist David Attenborough but the government promised on Friday that "Boaty McBoatface", the name which topped a public poll, would not be ignored. The naming of the Royal Research Ship (RRS) attracted huge interest after the Natural Environment Research Council encouraged Britons to come up with suggestions, leading to a stream of light-hearted ideas such as RRS Usain Boat, RRS I Like Big Boats&I Cannot Lie and
  
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