General news

• 'Out' camp maintains slight lead ahead of UK's EU referendum - BMG poll

  25-05-2016 23:37
  The campaign for Britain to leave the European Union maintained its lead ahead of the June 23 referendum, although the gap narrowed to 1 percentage point, according to a monthly opinion poll by BMG Research published on Wednesday. The poll showed 45 percent supported Britain leaving the bloc, unchanged from a similar poll last month, while backing for an "In" vote rose 1 point to 44 percent. Britain's leading expert on elections said earlier on Wednesday he was "none the wiser" about which polls
  
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• Cameron says EU referendum turnout is greatest concern for 'In'

  25-05-2016 23:35
  By Kylie MacLellan ISE-SHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - Those fighting for Britain to remain in the European Union are making good progress but getting young people to register and turn out to vote is the 'In' camp's greatest concern, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday. Cameron, the de facto head of the 'In' campaign, said election turnout was "definitely something that is concerning". "I feel we are making good progress with this argument, particularly about Britain being better off if we s
  
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• Cameron says Tata Steel UK gets 'encouraging' offers

  25-05-2016 22:05
  By Kylie MacLellan and William James NAGOYA, Japan/LONDON (Reuters) - Tata Steel has received a number of serious offers for its businesses in Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday as steel workers marched past Downing Street to put pressure on the government to get a deal. Britain's steel industry has been hit by cheap Chinese imports, high energy costs and a global supply glut and in March Tata said it wanted to sell its remaining plants in the country, putting 15,000 jobs at
  
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• Ellie Butler's Mother Denies Partner Beat Her

  25-05-2016 22:04
  
  During a day of often contentious cross-examination at the Old Bailey, Jennie Gray said she could not accept that her daughter Ellie Butler, who died in October 2013, had gone. Ms Gray denied the prosecution's claims that since she had previously lied to police, doctors, schoolteachers and social workers, that she was lying again in the witness box to cover up her partner Ben Butler's involvement in her daughter's death. Ms Gray, 36, who has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, ha
  
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• Coca-Cola To Pass On 'Majority' Of Sugar Tax

  25-05-2016 21:55
  
  Coca-Cola has told Sky News it would expect to pass on the "majority" of the Government's planned sugar tax to its customers. In an exclusive interview, Jon Woods, the company's general manager for the UK and Ireland, said while no decisions had been made yet it was likely that shoppers would have to pick up the bulk of the cost. The move was a surprise measure in the Chancellor's last Budget given the fact that Prime Minister David Cameron had been lukewarm on the idea before deciding the threa
  
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• Ministers To Unveil Tata Steel Pension Revamp

  25-05-2016 21:50
  
  Ministers will this week unveil proposals that would slash billions of pounds from the liabilities of the British Steel pension scheme as they seek to smooth a path for a buyer of Tata Steel's UK operations. Sky News has learnt that the Government is expected to launch a consultation on Thursday that would, if implemented, require a change in pensions law in order to radically restructure the £15bn fund.
  
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• Exclusive - EU launches contingency talks for Brexit vote: sources

  25-05-2016 21:38
  By Gabriela Baczynska, Jan Strupczewski and Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union officials and diplomats launched a round of confidential discussions this week to prepare a coordinated response to a possible British vote to leave the bloc next month, EU sources told Reuters on Wednesday. Britain will hold a referendum on EU membership on June 23. Senior diplomats from founding powers Germany and France, as well as several other countries, met on Monday for talks chaired by Euro
  
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• Highland Gaelic Speaker, 7, Faces Deportation

  25-05-2016 19:51
  
  A seven-year-old boy from Australia whose first language is Gaelic is facing deportation from Scotland along with his family. Now the SNP has called on the Chancellor to help stop the deportation of Lachlan Brain and his parents Gregg and Kathryn. They moved to Scotland under a Scottish Government initiative which was backed by the Home Office, to help repopulate the Highlands.
  
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• What's In A Name? Why Chelsea Still Own Jose

  25-05-2016 19:16
  
  Manchester United may have to pay Chelsea for the right to fully exploit Jose Mourinho's name when he is confirmed as their manager later this week. Chelsea still own the rights to Mourinho's name and signature, having registered it as a trademark with the Intellectual Property Office in 2005, during his first spell at Stamford Bridge. As well as being registered in the UK, "Jose Mourinho" is registered as a trademark of Chelsea FC on the European Union's Intellectual Property Database.
  
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• London neighbours engage in 'battle of the balconies' ahead of EU vote

  25-05-2016 18:17
  The debate about Britain's future in the Europe has taken an unexpected new twist: a "battle of the balconies" between north London neighbours unfurling competing pro- and anti-Brexit banners. Unimpressed by a large "Vote Leave" banner appearing on the balcony next door, a man named by British media as Frank Chalmers, 61, unveiled his own sign that added the words, "...if you want to cut workers' rights". The leafy, suburban locale of Gospel Oak was not previously regarded as a key battleground
  
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• Britain's top election expert 'none the wiser' over divergent Brexit polls

  25-05-2016 18:08
  By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's leading expert on elections said he was "none the wiser" on which polls, phone or online, were reaching more representative samples of the electorate ahead of a June 23 referendum on whether to remain in the European Union. John Curtice said the divergence between phone polls, which give the "In" camp a comfortable lead, and online polls, which are tighter and suggest "Out" could win, was likely due to differences between the samples they were able
  
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• Highland Gaelic Speaker, 7, Faces Deporation

  25-05-2016 18:04
  
  A seven-year-old boy from Australia whose first language is Gaelic is facing deportation from Scotland along with his family. Now the SNP has called on the Chancellor to help stop the deportation of Lachlan Brain and his parents Gregg and Kathryn. They moved to Scotland under a Scottish Government initiative which was backed by the Home Office, to help repopulate the Highlands.
  
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• Britain's 'In' campaign has highest lead since January - JPMorgan poll analysis

  25-05-2016 17:43
  JPMorgan said the campaign to keep Britain in the European Union had a 7.6 percentage point lead, the highest since January, when recent opinion polls were filtered to remove methodological and statistical effects. "Fitting a statistical filter to the weekly data to try to screen out the noise points to a 7.6- point lead for 'remain' based on the data in hand, the largest lead since late January," JPMorgan said in a note to clients.
  
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• Tata Board Still Considering UK Steel Bids

  25-05-2016 17:31
  
  The board of Indian steel giant Tata is still considering a number of bids for its business employing thousands of workers in the UK. The company spoke up following a meeting in Mumbai today. Its executive director Koushik Chatterjee told reporters that while it had identified short-listed bidders, they still needed to be evaluated and he would not be drawn on the identities of the interested parties.
  
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• Thomas Cook Cabin Crew Back Strike Action

  25-05-2016 17:23
  
  Thomas Cook cabin crew have voted in support of strike action in a row over rest breaks - placing the threat of disruption over summer holidays. The result of the ballot was made public by the Unite union just days after the wider parent company lost almost a fifth of its market value when it admitted summer holiday bookings were 5% down on the previous year. A spokesman for Thomas Cook Airlines said: "We're disappointed Unite cabin crew members have taken the decision to vote for strike action.
  
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• Have you had weight-loss surgery? Share your story

  25-05-2016 17:05
  
  Surgeons say more operations would improve health and save the NHS money in the long term. What do you think?More obese patients should be offered weight-loss surgery to make people healthier and save the NHS money, medical professionals have said.Writing in the British Medical Journal, bariatric surgeons say fewer than 1% of people who could benefit are getting surgery, and the numbers are falling rather than rising. They warn that the UK is lagging behind other countries in Europe, and argue t
  
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• Do you know your endangered species? – video

  25-05-2016 16:46
  
  The World Wildlife Foundation surveyed 2000 UK adults about their knowledge of endangered species. Roughly a third didn’t know giant pandas and snow leopards are under threat, while a fifth thought cows and grey squirrels are. One in four thought the dodo and brachiosaurus still exist!Do you know your wild species at risk? – in pictures Continue reading...
  
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• Top Model Agencies Facing Price Fix Claims

  25-05-2016 16:20
  
  Five top model agencies face accusations by the competition regulator that they colluded to fix prices charged to fashion brands and retailers. The claims against the agencies and their trade body, the Association of Model Agents (AMA), follow an investigation launched in March last year by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). It alleges that FM Models, Models 1, Premier, Storm and Viva together with the AMA breached competition law.
  
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• The hidden risks of climbing Mount Everest – video

  25-05-2016 15:51
  
  Three climbers have died on Mount Everest in the past week, all succumbing to altitude sickness after reaching the summit. The increasing number of deaths on the world’s tallest mountain is raising fresh fears about overcrowding and the ethics of commercial mountaineering on Everest Continue reading...
  
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• Brexit MPs: Take EU Propaganda Off Website

  25-05-2016 15:36
  
  The Government must take the "pro EU propaganda" off its website by Friday or risk breaking the law, Brexit MPs have warned. Boris Johnson is among 28 MPs demanding that content on the official Government website that seeks to persuade people to vote for the UK to remain in the EU should be taken down for purdah. Purdah is the period in the run-up to the election during which the Government is not allowed to make any major announcements.
  
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• Tories take more than half of donations to political parties

  25-05-2016 15:14
  Conservatives have received more in donations this year than all other political parties put together, figures showed.
  
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• 'No evidence' Liam Fee accused assaulted toddler

  25-05-2016 15:14
  
  A woman accused of murdering a toddler with her partner made a "catastrophic mistake" when she failed to get the boy medical help for an injury, but there is no evidence she assaulted him, a jury has heard.
  
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• Four men in hospital after taking legal highs

  25-05-2016 15:14
  
  Four men have been hospitalised after taking legal highs days before a blanket ban comes into force.
  
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• Excalibur management team 'working alone' in Tata buyout bid

  25-05-2016 15:14
  
  The management buyout team bidding to purchase the UK assets of Tata Steel has made it clear it is working alone rather than in conjunction with another group.
  
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• Bus driver went to work morning after winning lottery millions

  25-05-2016 15:14
  A bus driver has described trying to stay calm after learning he had won a £6.1 million Lotto jackpot during his morning rush-hour shift.
  
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• 'In' camp keeps almost all its lead ahead of EU vote - Survation poll

  25-05-2016 15:06
  The campaign to keep Britain in the European Union has maintained almost all its lead over the "Leave" camp ahead of next month's referendum, according to a Survation poll for online brokerage group IG. The telephone poll published on Wednesday showed 44 percent of respondents would vote to stay in the EU compared with 38 percent who would seek to leave. Two online opinion polls published on Tuesday showed Britons were evenly split on how they intended to vote, contradicting signs in some other
  
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• Chris Evans 'relieved' Top Gun pilot threw up during Top Gear challenge

  25-05-2016 15:02
  
  Chris Evans has said he is "very relieved" that a Top Gun pilot was sick in the new series of Top Gear.
  
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• Pro-EU group unveils Soviet-style mural of Trump kissing ex-Mayor Johnson

  25-05-2016 14:53
  A giant mural of Donald Trump locked in a kiss with former London mayor Boris Johnson in the style of a legendary Soviet-era image has been unveiled by a group campaigning for Britain to stay in the European Union. Painted on the side of a building in Bristol, southwest England - home of the celebrated graffiti artist Banksy - the image reprises a 1979 photograph of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German President Erich Honecker kissing, which was later turned into a mural on the Berlin W
  
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• World Trade Organisation adds new warning on economic cost of Brexit

  25-05-2016 14:51
  
  A fresh warning about the potential economic cost of Brexit has been issued by the head of the World Trade Organisation, who warned import tariffs would cost the country billions.
  
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• Woman aiming to use dead daughter's eggs to have child 'would fulfil dying wish'

  25-05-2016 14:06
  
  A woman who wants to use her daughter's frozen eggs to give birth to her own grandchild has appealed to leading judges to allow her to carry out the dying wishes of her "much-loved and only child".
  
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• Dominic Chappell 'took a bit of a punt' in BHS purchase

  25-05-2016 14:05
  
  The man who acquired BHS for £1 from billionaire Sir Philip Green was taking a "punt" on the successful turnaround of the firm, MPs have been told.
  
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• Cameron says bids for Tata UK 'encouraging'

  25-05-2016 13:41
  By Kylie MacLellan and William James NAGOYA, Japan/LONDON (Reuters) - Tata Steel's has received an encouraging number of serious offers for its British assets Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday but also said there were no guarantees of a successful conclusion. In March, Tata said it wanted to sell its loss-making operation in the country, putting 15,000 jobs at risk. Tata's decision has turned the spotlight on the global steel market and the impact of Chinese exports that could lead
  
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• Judges to consider new privacy battle involving public figure

  25-05-2016 13:15
  
  A second privacy battle involving a public figure and tabloid newspaper journalists is set to be analysed by senior judges.
  
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• What do liberals get wrong about guns? – video

  25-05-2016 13:00
  
  The Guardian’s Lois Beckett went to Louisville, Kentucky, where the National Rifle Association’s annual convention was taking place, and asked gun owners: what do liberals get wrong about guns, and how can we make America a safer place to live?Lois Beckett was in Louisville for the NRA convention. The NRA refused to issue Guardian US with accreditation for its convention, so she was covering the event from outside
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• Atrocious toilets and too few bins: why we're not eco-friendly at work

  25-05-2016 12:59
  
  Most of us ignore our environmental responsibilities in the workplace, research suggests. We asked you to share your experiences – and this is what you told usI just can’t be bothered’: why people are greener at home than in the officeMy workplace removed individual waste bins, to encourage people to think more about where they put their waste. All this has done is breed a surprising resentment and apathy. By the time I’ve walked the five yards to the bin, I can rarely br
  
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• Oil Giant Shell Cuts Further 475 UK Jobs

  25-05-2016 12:57
  
  Royal Dutch Shell is cutting an additional 2,200 jobs including 475 in its North Sea business as the industry continues to struggle. It takes the total number of jobs cut in the region by Shell since the start of 2014 to nearly 1,000. Paul Goodfellow, Shell's vice president for the UK and Ireland, said market conditions "remain challenging" and that it was cutting costs and improving efficiency to face up to "lower for longer" oil prices.
  
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• Two Bodies Found In Search For Missing Man

  25-05-2016 12:51
  
  David Cauldwell disappeared after leaving a local pub at around midnight on Saturday. The first remains were spotted by officers on Tuesday evening and "are believed to have been there for a considerable amount of time," according to Devon and Cornwall Police. Mr Cauldwell's family has been informed of the developments, but neither body has been formally identified.
  
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• Betting odds indicate 83 percent probability of Britain voting to stay in EU - Betfair

  25-05-2016 12:51
  Betting odds on Wednesday indicated an 82.6 percent implied probability of Britain voting to stay in the European Union in a June 23 referendum, according to Betfair. The implied probability of an "In" vote has increased by about 12 percentage points in the past week and a half, according to Betfair odds. While odds have consistently indicated an In vote, opinion pollsters have so far painted contradictory pictures of how Britons will vote.
  
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• Brexit Would Cost UK £40bn, Warns Report

  25-05-2016 12:19
  
  Respected think-tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies has dismissed claims it is an EU "propaganda arm" after warning that Brexit would cost the UK up to £40bn. Vote Leave rubbished the IFS report on the effect of Brexit as "biased" saying that the organisation was unlikely to be critical of Britain’s membership because it was funded by the EU. But IFS director Paul Johnson told Sky News the accusations were "frankly absolutely outrageous" saying the think-tank's 30-year reputation w
  
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• Former Mothercare Boss In Last-Minute BHS Bid

  25-05-2016 12:08
  
  A consortium led by former Mothercare and Arcadia executive Greg Tufnell has emerged as a last-minute potential bidder for collapsed retailer BHS. Mr Tufnell, brother of former England cricketer Phil Tufnell, reportedly heads the newly formed Richess Group, backed by Portuguese investors. Mr Tufnell was managing director of Mothercare from 1997 to 2000 and previously led Burton, one of the brands owned by former BHS owner Sir Philip Green's Arcadia group.
  
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• Prices edge up on gas shortfalls and higher demand

  25-05-2016 12:04
  (Reuters) - British gas prices edged mostly higher early on Wednesday in response to a surge in heating demand coupled with an undersupplied transmission system and higher crude oil prices. Gas for next-day delivery rose 0.20 pence per therm to 29.70 p/therm by 0854 GMT, while the month-ahead gas contract jumped 0.28 p/therm higher at 29.30 p/therm. Britain's transmission network faced a 2.4 million cubic metre/day (mcm/day) supply shortfall as people used more gas to stay warm, with demand esti
  
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• UK Murder Suspect Held At Marina With Albanians

  25-05-2016 11:53
  
  A British man wanted over a murder in Spain has been arrested after arriving in the UK on a yacht along with 17 suspected Albanian migrants. The 55-year-old and the Albanian men were detained at Chichester Marina in West Sussex. Spanish authorities had issued a European Arrest Warrant for the Briton who is now in custody.
  
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• Youth arrested after teenagers burned in 'acid' attack at station

  25-05-2016 11:51
  
  A youth has been arrested after a group of teenagers suffered serious injuries in a suspected acid attack at a railway station.
  
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• Top Gear 'as entertaining as ever', according to review of new series

  25-05-2016 11:51
  
  The new series of Top Gear is "as entertaining as ever", according to an early review.
  
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• Tata Board Meets To Consider UK Steel Bids

  25-05-2016 11:51
  
  The board of Indian steel giant Tata is meeting to weigh up bids for its business employing thousands of workers in the UK. Prime Minister David Cameron said there had been an encouraging number of serious offers for the assets and that the Government was doing everything it could to help - though there were no guarantees of a successful conclusion to the process. Business Secretary Sajid Javid and Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones have travelled to Mumbai to discuss prospects for the sale.
  
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• Sweden refuses to revoke Assange arrest warrant

  25-05-2016 11:51
  
  A Swedish court has decided not to drop an arrest warrant against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
  
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• Spain and Portugal holiday demand surges amid terror attack fears

  25-05-2016 11:51
  
  Holidaymakers are flocking to destinations in the western Mediterranean this summer as terror attacks are putting tourists off other traditionally popular locations, travel agents have said.
  
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• UK Foreign Aid Spending Highest Of G7

  25-05-2016 11:49
  
  Britain is spending nearly twice as much of its wealth on aid to the world's poorest countries than any of the other G7 nations, a report shows. The UK's foreign aid budget has soared by 144% in 10 years - hitting £13.2bn in 2014, figures show, as David Cameron arrives in Japan for the annual meeting with other G7 leaders. According to the progress report, Britain is the only country to honour its pledge to give the United Nations' target of 0.7% of national wealth in international aid.
  
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• Britain encourages all to abide by tribunal decision on South China Sea - PM

  25-05-2016 11:43
  British Prime Minister David Cameron, who arrived in Japan on Wednesday for a Group of Seven summit, encouraged Beijing and others to abide by a looming ruling by an international tribunal on a territorial row between China and the Philippines. Asked whether China had to abide by the ruling, Cameron told reporters: "We believe that it is in Britain's interests, in all our interests, to have a world that is based on adhering to the institutions of that world, and the rules of that world. "That su
  
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• Alan Sugar Appointed Enterprise Tsar ... Again

  25-05-2016 11:40
  
  David Cameron has appointed the star of The Apprentice, Alan Sugar, as his enterprise tsar, it has been announced. His appointment is part of a drive to encourage more young people to start up their own businesses and will champion the apprenticeships programme. The move will come as a particular coup for the Prime Minister as Lord Sugar spectacularly quit the Labour Party last year, slamming its economic policies on the way out of the exit door.
  
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