General news

• PM Faces Sky News Test As Remain Loses Ground

  01-06-2016 23:58
  
  David Cameron will make the case for remaining in the European Union tomorrow night in the first major television event of the referendum campaign. The Prime Minister will be interviewed at length by Sky News' political editor Faisal Islam before Kay Burley invites questions from a studio audience which has been weighted to include inners, outers and the undecided. For the first time, a telephone poll by ICM for the Guardian newspaper has suggested a 4% lead for Vote Leave (52%) over Stronger In
  
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• Six-Year-Old Dies After Found With Man's Body

  01-06-2016 23:50
  
  A six-year-old girl has died after being found unconscious at a house on the Isle of Wight, where a 44-year-old man was also found dead. Officers were called to an address at Cromwell Avenue in East Cowes shortly after 10am, according to Hampshire police.
  
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• Six-Year-Old Dies After Found With Body Of Man

  01-06-2016 22:36
  
  A six-year-old girl has died after being found unconscious at a house on the Isle of Wight, where a 44-year-old man was also found dead.
  
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• UK watchdogs to see if tougher peer-to-peer lending rules needed

  01-06-2016 20:10
  Earlier this month the U.S. Dept of Justice opened an inquiry into Lending Club Corp after an internal probe found the U.S. company had falsified documentation when selling a package of loans. It turned the spotlight on "peer-to-peer" lending, a growing source of financing for small companies which some policymakers want to encourage as competition to bank loans. Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the treasury committee in Britain's parliament, said he has asked the Bank of England and the Financial Cond
  
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• Former Aide To PM Guilty Over Child Images

  01-06-2016 18:36
  
  Patrick Rock, a former Downing Street aide, has been found guilty of five counts of making indecent photographs of children. The 64-year-old from Fulham, south-west London, admitted to downloading 20 pictures of nine girls to his computer in August 2013, but denied they were indecent. The jury took more than eight hours to convict him of five counts.
  
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• Parents of 'Jihadi Jack' On Terror Charges

  01-06-2016 18:32
  
  The parents of a British Muslim convert accused of joining Islamic State in Syria have been charged with terrorism offences. Jack Letts, dubbed "Jihadi Jack", was suspected of being the first white Briton to join the terror group after he travelled to Syria two years ago. The 20-year-old, who reportedly goes by the name Abu Mohammed, married an Iraqi woman with whom he has a son, Muhammed.
  
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• Huckle Tried To Cash In On Child Abuse Pics

  01-06-2016 18:16
  
  By any measure, the story of prolific paedophile Richard Huckle is extraordinary and not what you might expect. He is a middle-class, church-going, grammar school boy who used a short-course teaching certificate to gain access to vulnerable children in a foreign community where many worshipped him and still refuse to believe what he did.
  
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• Prolific Paedophile Raped Babies And Toddlers

  01-06-2016 18:15
  
  One of the most prolific paedophiles ever to have been brought before a UK court is being sentenced today. Richard Huckle, 30, admitted an unprecedented number of offences against children aged between six months and 12 years from 2006 to 2014. The freelance photographer used religion and an English teaching qualification to gain access to children in an impoverished community in Malaysia.
  
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• Duke Of Edinburgh Resumes Royal Duties

  01-06-2016 17:32
  
  Prince Philip has returned to work, greeting the President of Germany at Buckingham Palace, after missing the commemorations marking the Battle of Jutland following medical advice. The Duke joined the Queen as she held a private audience with Joachim Gauck at the Royal residence. His son-in-law Sir Tim Laurence said Philip had been "frustrated and disappointed" at having to miss the event.
  
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• LSE says Deutsche Boerse merger could mean 1,250 job cuts

  01-06-2016 17:14
  (Reuters) - London Stock Exchange Group said its planned $30 billion merger with German rival Deutsche Boerse could result in 1,250 job cuts across the combined group and should eventually lead to 250 million euros ($279.48 million) in revenue benefits a year. LSE, which agreed in March to merge with Deutsche Boerse to create a pan-European trading house, said it expected to achieve these benefits in the fifth year after the deal is completed. The company, which owns Borsa Italiana and the Londo
  
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• Call For Elderly Drivers Review After Crash

  01-06-2016 16:58
  
  A judge has urged the government to "urgently review" the law on elderly drivers, after he decided not to jail an 80-year-old motorist who mowed down eight schoolgirls in Liverpool. The court heard that the former operating theatre sister had devoted her life to caring for people.
  
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• Tube Knifeman 'Had Lee Rigby Image On Phone'

  01-06-2016 16:52
  
  Muhiddin Mire went on a rampage with the blade at Leytonstone station on 5 December last year, cutting the throat of musician Lyle Zimmerman so that his windpipe was exposed, the Old Bailey heard. Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC told the court police found material linked to Islamic State on the 30-year-old's phone, including images of the IS militant who became known as Jihadi John, as well as a picture of Fusilier Rigby.
  
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• Were there once mountains higher than Everest?

  01-06-2016 16:05
  
  Readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific conceptsHave mountains in geological history ever been substantially higher than Mount Everest?Peter Nias, Bradford Continue reading...
  
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• Osborne: Brexit Immigration Plan Is 'Fantasy'

  01-06-2016 15:40
  
  Plans to introduce an Australian-style points system of immigration have been unveiled by leading Leave campaigners. But Chancellor George Osborne said the plans, which amount to an alternative to the Government manifesto on immigration, were "unworkable" and branded them "fantasy politics". In a statement, Boris Johnson, Justice Secretary Michael Gove, Work and Pensions Minister Priti Patel and Gisela Stuart set out a blueprint in which the right to come to the UK would be based on skills
  
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• Volunteers' week: show us your voluntary work

  01-06-2016 15:34
  
  Help inspire others to get involved in their communities by sharing your volunteering experiences and imagesThere are 21 million of you volunteering your time, energy and brainpower for charities in the UK – and we want to hear your stories. Tell us about your work and help us celebrate Volunteers’ Week (1-12 June) by promoting the difference volunteers make. Estimates suggest that volunteers’ work contributes as much as £23.9bn to the UK economy every year. That said, it
  
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• Trump To Visit UK Day After EU Referendum

  01-06-2016 15:34
  
  Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will visit the UK on 24 June to open a golf course in Scotland. He will arrive the day after the EU referendum to officially open the Trump Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire. He said: "Very exciting that one of the great resorts of the world, Turnberry, will be opening today after a massive £200m investment.
  
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• UK regulator fines CT Capital for unfair PPI complaint handling

  01-06-2016 14:44
  Britain's financial markets regulator has fined CT Capital, a UK parent company for a group of lenders and loan brokers, 2.4 million pounds for "serious failings" in handling complaints about Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said on Wednesday that customers missed out on compensation they were entitled to after CT Capital failed to put in place appropriate processes to deal with 6,669 PPI complaints between May 2011 and November 2013. Over the last five y
  
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• New tax, Brexit doubt push UK mortgage lending to weakest since 2012

  01-06-2016 13:38
  By Andy Bruce and David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) - British mortgage lending grew at the weakest pace since 2012 as a new tax on landlords took effect, and uncertainty about Britain's future in Europe dampened other borrowing too. The Bank of England said net mortgage lending rose just 281 million pounds ($406 million) in April, a fraction of the 3.8 billion pound increase forecast in a Reuters poll of economists and down sharply from a 7.411 billion pound increase in March. This was the smalles
  
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• New Inquests Into 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings

  01-06-2016 13:04
  
  A senior coroner has ordered fresh inquests into the deaths of 21 people in the Birmingham pub bombings in 1974. Louise Hunt's decision follows years of campaigning by relatives of those killed in the twin explosions. Ms Hunt said there was evidence that West Midlands Police had missed two potential warnings of the blasts, including a comment made by men linked to the IRA that "Birmingham would be hit next week".
  
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• OECD: Brexit Would Trigger 'Substantial Shock'

  01-06-2016 13:02
  
  A vote to leave the European Union would have "substantial negative consequences" for the UK and the global economy, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says. In its latest outlook forecast, the OECD says fears of a possible Brexit have already knocked growth in the UK economy. The report says that business confidence has eased, policy uncertainty has risen and investment growth has slowed in the lead-up to the referendum on 23 June.
  
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• M&S Cans Background Music In All Its Stores

  01-06-2016 12:59
  
  Marks & Spencer is abolishing piped music in all of its 300 clothing and home stores. The company has recently acquired a new boss, Steve Rowe, who indicated his aim was to encourage original customer, "Mrs M&S", to return to the shop, fearing she may have felt left out of its recent revamps and, as a consequence, stopped shopping there. It seems the abolition of piped music is one of his first efforts to encourage the more mature shopper back to his stores.
  
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• Big Supermarkets Still Losing Market Share

  01-06-2016 12:52
  
  The big supermarket chains are continuing to lose market share, although troubled Tesco is showing signs of stabilising, according to new analysis. The market as a whole grew by just 0.1% in the 12 weeks ending 22 May, according to figures from research group Kantar Worldpanel. The big four - Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons - each saw their sales decline, but Tesco's outlook has improved slightly after two bad years.
  
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• Losing our accents: are Britons all starting to sound the same? – video

  01-06-2016 12:36
  
  Do you call a small sliver of wood stuck under the skin a spill, or a spelk, or do you, like an increasing number of people, call it a splinter? In the 1950s people all over Britain had local names for lots things. And they pronounced them in all sorts of ways. In 2016, however, things have changed dramatically and everyone is starting to sound alike – and southern accents are taking over
  Regional dialects are dying out – it’s enough to get you blarting Continue reading...
  
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• Sunrises and Swedish blossoms: readers' May weather pictures

  01-06-2016 12:30
  
  We asked you to share your most striking images of the weather in May from around the world. Here are some of our favourites• You can add your June weather photographs hereContinue reading...
  
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• Euro 2016: the complete guide to every squad and every player in France

  01-06-2016 12:06
  
  Profiles of all 24 teams and 552 players at Euro 2016, including caps, goals, hobbies, tattoos, music taste and, once the tournament starts, ratings for every individual performance Continue reading...
  
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• Corbyn Mole 'Leaked' PMQs Prep To Tories

  01-06-2016 11:35
  
  Jeremy Corbyn's Prime Minister's Questions preparations have been leaked to the Conservatives by a party mole, according to his senior aide. David Cameron's team has been routinely tipped off on the questions the Labour leader has prepared for their weekly showdowns, Mr Corbyn's chief spokesman Seumas Milne has claimed. He said the leaks came after the weekly meetings to discuss how the Labour leader would tackle the head-to-head.
  
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• New X Factor Series Goes Back To The Future

  01-06-2016 11:02
  
  The X Factor is bringing back some familiar faces this year as it tries to win television's Saturday night ratings war. Three former judges are returning to the talent show – Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh. Host Dermot O'Leary has also been rehired after a brief absence.
  
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• British manufacturing barely grows in May as EU referendum approaches - PMI

  01-06-2016 10:37
  British manufacturing activity barely grew last month, adding to signs that the economy is slowing in the run-up to a referendum on European Union membership, a survey showed on Wednesday. The Markit/CIPS manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose more than expected to 50.1 in May from April's slightly upwardly revised 49.4, the lowest reading since early 2013. Official figures show manufacturing failed to contribute to overall growth throughout 2015 and early 2016.
  
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• Britons evenly split ahead of EU referendum - YouGov online poll

  01-06-2016 10:34
  British voters are evenly split between "Remain" and "Leave" ahead of a June 23 referendum on whether to remain in the European Union, according to the latest online opinion poll from YouGov for The Times newspaper. The results were identical to YouGov's previous survey for The Times, which was conducted on May 23-24.
  
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• UK mortgage lending slows to weakest since euro zone debt crisis

  01-06-2016 10:33
  British mortgage lending slowed to a crawl in April, increasing at the slowest pace since 2012 as a new tax on landlords took effect, while mortgage approvals also dropped, official data showed on Wednesday. Mortgage lending grew just 281 million pounds in April, a fraction of the 3.8 billion pounds increase forecast from a Reuters poll of economists and down sharply from a 7.411 billion pound rise in March. This was the slowest rise since August 2012, while approvals for new mortgages in April
  
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• 'Decision Fatigue' Causes GP Mistakes After Lunch

  01-06-2016 09:03
  
  GPs claim patient numbers are leading to "decision fatigue" - meaning you may be better off seeing your doctor in the morning. Some GPs see 40 to 60 patients a day, making it "impossible" not to make mistakes. Rachel Ali, a GP from Devon, told peers at a conference: "Decision fatigue is the concept that as we make more decisions during the day, they become less and less good quality.
  
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• UK house price growth remains slow in May - Nationwide

  01-06-2016 08:50
  British monthly house price growth remained slow in May after the government added a tax surcharge on the purchase of properties for rental and second homes in April, according to a survey from mortgage lender Nationwide on Wednesday. House prices rose 0.2 percent in May from April, Nationwide said, a bit slower than a median forecast for an increase of 0.3 percent in a Reuters poll of economists.
  
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• Steelworkers Welcome Tata Sale To Greybull

  01-06-2016 08:05
  
  More than 4,000 steelworkers have a new employer after Tata Steel completed the sale of its European long products division to little-known family investment office Greybull Capital. The Long Products Europe business, which in the UK includes the Scunthorpe steelworks, two mills in Teesside, an engineering workshop in Workington, a design consultancy in York, and associated distribution facilities, as well as a rail mill in northern France, will trade under the name of British Steel. Bimlendra J
  
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• People Smugglers Find New Route Into Britain

  01-06-2016 08:05
  
  Migrants are avoiding tough new security measures in Calais by choosing quiet beaches in France to launch attempts to cross the Channel, Sky News has been told. Local people say there is something strange happening on a stretch of coastline south of Calais. From beach houses on the shore and fishing boats at sea, people have watched migrants dragging dinghies, then putting out to sea - and mysterious boats taking on passengers in the dead of night.
  
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• Political polls are bad for democracy: here's why – video

  01-06-2016 08:00
  
  Most of us have never taken part in a poll about politics, says Guardian US data editor Mona Chalabi, but we will happily believe the results and even let them affect how we decide to vote. Instead, she argues, the media should be helping people come to a decision by reporting on the issues that matter Continue reading...
  
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• Migrants Find Deadly New Route Into Britain

  01-06-2016 04:31
  
  Migrants are avoiding tough new security measures in Calais by choosing quiet beaches in France to launch attempts to cross the Channel, Sky News has been told. Local people say there is something strange happening on a stretch of coastline south of Calais. From beach houses on the shore and fishing boats at sea, people have watched migrants dragging dinghies, then putting out to sea - and mysterious boats taking on passengers in the dead of night.
  
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• After Brexit - Roadmap for a leap in the dark

  01-06-2016 03:00
  Secret meetings in Brussels and across Europe reveal huge uncertainty, officials and diplomats familiar with the proceedings say, over what would follow a vote that British Prime Minister David Cameron calls a "leap in the dark" -- and also no little concern about what happens if Britain stays on. This is a rough roadmap to Europe after June 23, based on conversations with many diplomats and officials, few of whom speak of it in public for fear of inflaming debate in Britain: DAY 1 - FRIDAY, JUN
  
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• 'Leave' Promises Oz-Style Immigration System

  01-06-2016 02:18
  
  Plans to introduce an Australian-style points system of immigration have been unveiled by leading Leave campaigners. A statement from Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Priti Patel and Gisela Stuart sets out a blueprint in which the right to come to the UK would be based on skills. Sky data suggests the primary concern for undecided voters is immigration , with 63% of Britons saying it has a negative impact on British culture.
  
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• McGuinness In Historic Visit To Battlefields

  01-06-2016 01:22
  
  Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness is making a groundbreaking visit to World War One battlefields at Flanders and the Somme. The self-confessed former IRA chief will pay his respects to the thousands who fell while serving in the British Army. More than 200,000 Irishmen went to fight in the Great War, and some 49,000 were killed in action.
  
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• Sky Poll: 'Noise' Leaves EU Voters Undecided

  01-06-2016 01:03
  
  Sky data shows 29% of voters are still making up their minds how to vote in the EU referendum. With three weeks before the polls open on 23 June, the undecided voters are large enough to sway the decision either way - but so far neither campaign has managed to secure this elusive group. A YouGov poll found that after David Cameron secured his deal in Brussels earlier this year the number of undecided voters started to rise, from 19% in February to 24% in March and April.
  
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• Bosses warn of Brexit impact, CBI survey shows outlook slipping

  01-06-2016 01:03
  The heads of some of Britain's biggest manufacturers warned that leaving the European Union would trigger widescale job losses and a business survey showed the weakest economic outlook in over three years due to uncertainty over the referendum. On Wednesday the heads of Siemens, Airbus and GKN will say at a campaign event that the future of UK manufacturing jobs would be at risk if a vote to leave resulted in trade barriers making Britain a less attractive place to do business. "A UK outside of
  
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• Brexit camp eye Australian-style immigration system if UK leaves EU

  01-06-2016 00:55
  Britain would introduce an Australian-style points-based immigration system if it voted to leave the European Union, the Out campaign said on Wednesday, ratcheting up the pressure on a key issue ahead of the June 23 referendum. Two polls released on Tuesday showed Britons favouring a vote to leave the bloc after official figures published last week put net migration at the second highest level on record last year. In a joint statement, senior members of the Leave campaign including former London
  
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