General news

• PM 'Depressing' And 'Scary' On EU, Says Gove

  03-06-2016 23:57
  
  Michael Gove has branded the Prime Minister's performance on the EU "depressing" and told voters it was "an exercise in trying to scare you". In a savage blue-on-blue attack during the special In or Out programme on Sky News, the Justice Secretary slammed the Remain campaign's scaremongering on "World War Three" and a "global Brexit recession". But he was accused of acting like a World War One general by audience member Andrew Carnegie, who said he was urging men over the top without any idea wh
  
  Read more

• Two Held Over Disappearance Of Baby In 2004

  03-06-2016 23:55
  
  The investigation into the disappearance of the baby, who was born in Barnet in 2004, was requested by local officers and a child abuse investigation team after a case review into the death of another child at an address in Barnet last year. A post-mortem examination on the remains at Great Ormond Street Hospital was inconclusive.
  
  Read more

• Spared: Benefits cheat who claimed £120k to help pay off her human traffickers

  03-06-2016 23:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  AN illegal immigrant who conned nearly £120,000 in benefits to help pay the traffickers who smuggled her into Britain has been spared prison – despite being jailed for the same offence before.
  
  Read more

• The battle for Falluja: 'If they lose it, Isis is finished'

  03-06-2016 23:00
  
  Tens of thousands of lives – and the future of Iraq – are at stake as the country’s forces and Shia militias fight Isis for the cityOn a narrow dirt road in the village of Sijar, a column of green Toyota pick-up trucks carrying Shia paramilitaries and rocket launchers jostled for space with the Humvees of the Iraqi police. A platoon of exhausted snipers stood at the side of the road waving their guns in the air and taking selfies. A truck carrying a flag-draped coffin attempted
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Pro-Brexit minister - I'm glad most economists are not on my side

  03-06-2016 22:49
  By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - A government minister campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union said on Friday he was glad not to have economic authorities on his side because they had been wrong about the euro and had failed to predict the global financial crisis. Justice Secretary Michael Gove also branded the 28-member bloc a "job-destroying machine" that had hollowed out communities across Britain, citing the failure of his own father's fishing business which he attributed to
  
  Read more

• Pair Jailed Over UK's Biggest Gun Smuggling Plot

  03-06-2016 19:58
  
  The mastermind behind a plot to smuggle guns worth £100,000 into Britain has been sentenced to 35 years. Harry Shilling, 25, from Swanley, Kent was found guilty in April  of smuggling 31 automatic rifles and pistols from eastern Europe into Britain via the River Medway in Kent. The weapons included 22 assault rifles similar in style to Russian made AK-47s, nine deadly submachine guns capable of firing 800 rounds a minute, 58 magazines, two silencers and 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
  
  Read more

• 'Evil' Online Dating Site Killer Gets Life

  03-06-2016 19:49
  
  Carl Langdell admitted killing 23-year-old Katie Locke on their first date at a hotel in Waltham Cross, when he appeared at St. Albans Crown Court. Langdell, 26, was charged with her murder on Christmas Day, and will serve a minimum of 26 years.
  
  Read more

• Gove 'Nervous' Ahead Of Sky News EU Event

  03-06-2016 19:36
  
  Michael Gove has admitted he is "nervous" as he prepares to present the case for the UK leaving the European Union in a live Sky News event. The Justice Secretary will take to the stage on behalf of the Leave campaign tonight to face an hour-long grilling from Sky News' political editor Faisal Islam and members of the studio audience. He follows in the footsteps of Prime Minister David Cameron, who was greeted with several fiery exchanges as he presented his case for remaining in the bloc.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Andy Murray Reaches First French Open Final

  03-06-2016 19:31
  
  Andy Murray has become the first British man since 1937 to reach the French Open tennis final. The Scot beat defending champion Stan Wawrinka 6-4 6-2 4-6 6-2 to set up a date in Paris on Sunday with his long-time nemesis Novak Djokovic. It is the first time Murray, 29, has made the final of the clay court event at Roland Garros.
  
  Read more

• Chilcot Report: Families Won't Have To Pay £767

  03-06-2016 18:44
  
  No 10 confirmed they would not have to shell out £767 for the Chilcot report when it is published in July after they expressed outrage at the idea they would be made to pay for a hard copy. Bereaved relatives called on former prime minister Tony Blair to foot the cost, given they had "already paid with our children's lives". The families have been invited to attend the public statement to be made by inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot on that date, prior to which they will be able to read an
  
  Read more

• Deepcut Soldier Cheryl James Shot Herself

  03-06-2016 17:56
  
  A coroner has found that Private Cheryl James died from a "self-inflicted" gunshot wound at Deepcut barracks in 1995. She was one of four soldiers who died at Deepcut in Surrey between 1995 and 2002 amid claims of bullying and abuse. The young female recruit died from a gunshot wound to the head at the Surrey base in November 1995.
  
  Read more

• Chilcot Report: Relatives Angry At £767 Cost

  03-06-2016 17:51
  
  It has led bereaved relatives to call on former prime minister Tony Blair to foot the cost, given they had "already paid with our children's lives". The families have been invited to attend the public statement to be made by inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot on that date, prior to which they will be able to read an embargoed copy. But Rose Gentle, from Glasgow, whose son Fusilier Gordon Gentle was killed in a bomb attack in Basra in 2004 aged 19, argued families should also get a free hard copy.
  
  Read more

• Cornish Pasty Industry Backs Staying In EU

  03-06-2016 17:37
  
  Cornish pasty makers have given their culinary clout to the campaign to stay in the EU in a bid to safeguard the special status of the traditional British snack. Following the awarding of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status by the European Commission in 2011, only pasties made in Cornwall can be called Cornish. The Cornish Pasty Association (CPA), which represents manufacturers of all sizes across the county, said after waging a long fight to secure PGI "it would be wholly inappropria
  
  Read more

• Brexit debate brings out Britain's World War Two fixation

  03-06-2016 17:24
  By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - When Nigel Farage rolls into town in a purple double-decker bus to campaign for Britain to leave the EU, the music blaring from the loudspeakers is from the classic World War Two movie "The Great Escape". A great escape from this European Union!" Farage told cheering supporters as his bus arrived at a recent campaign stop, a typical scene as he tours Britain ahead of its June 23 referendum on EU membership. Critics say it is outrageous to suggest a parallel
  
  Read more

• Claims Tata Could Put Sale On Hold For Loans

  03-06-2016 16:58
  
  There are calls for Tata to guarantee it is committed to a long-term future in British steel-making if it decides not to sell its UK operations. However, speculation has been growing that the company is considering putting the sale on hold amid reports that it is being offered multimillion pound Government loans if it stays. Neither Tata nor the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills would comment on claims that the company was being offered state loans on "commercial terms".
  
  Read more

• BHS to close with thousands of job losses

  03-06-2016 16:23
  By Paul Sandle LONDON (Reuters) - British department stores group BHS is to be wound down after administrators failed to find a buyer for the 88-year-old chain, threatening over 10,000 jobs and creating huge vacant sites in town centres struggling to cope with changing shopping habits. The failure to find a buyer will likely increase the focus on previous owner, billionaire Philip Green, who sold the chain to a group of little-known investors led by a previous bankrupt called Dominic Chappell fo
  
  Read more

• Hopping hares and playful lambs: readers' May wildlife pictures

  03-06-2016 16:02
  
  We asked you to share your May pictures of the wildlife around the world wherever you are. Here’s a selection of our favourites• You can add your June wildlife photographs by clicking on the ‘Contribute’ button belowContinue reading...
  
  Read more

• Farage scents victory over migration fears - Yorkshire Post

  03-06-2016 15:41
  
  Yorkshire Post
  Farage scents victory over migration fears
  Yorkshire Post
  The referendum campaign focus on immigration represents a “turning point” in favour of Brexit, Ukip leader Nigel Farage said as he confidently predicted victory. Senior Vote Leave Tories' “conversion” to Ukip's long-standing call for a points-based ...
  Nigel Farage set to lead 60-boat flotilla up the Thames to Parliament to call for BrexitThe Sunall 47 news articles »
  
  Read more

• Sports Direct: MPs to discuss sanctions on Mike Ashley - The Guardian

  03-06-2016 15:24
  
  The Guardian
  Sports Direct: MPs to discuss sanctions on Mike Ashley
  The Guardian
  A group of MPs investigating working conditions at Sports Direct are to discuss applying sanctions on Mike Ashley after the retailer's billionaire founder said he would defy a parliamentary summons to appearbefore the select committee. The move, which ...and more »
  
  Read more

• Sports Direct Boss Pulls Out Of Hearing With MPs

  03-06-2016 15:06
  
  Sports Direct boss and Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has told MPs investigating workplace practices that he will not attend a hearing on 7 June as his lawyer is unavailable. The Commons Business, Innovation and Skills committee wants to quiz Mr Ashley over the treatment of workers at the sportswear business and have previously said he could be in contempt of Parliament if he fails to attend. In a letter dated 2 June, however, Mr Ashley told the committee he was unable to attend because his
  
  Read more

• Man Jailed For 35 Years Over Gun Smuggling Plot

  03-06-2016 15:04
  
  The mastermind behind a plot to smuggle guns worth £100,000 into Britain has been sentenced to 35 years in prison. Harry Shilling, 25, from Swanley, Kent was found guilty in April of smuggling 31 automatic rifles and pistols from eastern Europe into Britain via the River Medway in Kent. His co-conspirator Michael Defraine, 30, from Bexleyheath, southeast London, was sentenced to 32 years for the same offence.
  
  Read more

• Life Sentence For Online Dating Site Killer

  03-06-2016 14:58
  
  Carl Langdell admitted killing 23-year-old Katie Locke on their first date at a hotel in Waltham Cross, when he appeared at St. Albans Crown Court. Katie's body was discovered in the grounds the following day. The family then found his address and Katie's father went there desperate to locate his daughter.
  
  Read more

• Paedophile Huckle Blames Abuse On 'Immaturity'

  03-06-2016 14:28
  
  Paedophile Richard Huckle has told a court his prolific child abuse was due to his "immaturity" and that he is "truly remorseful". During sentencing, Huckle's lawyer asked for leniency and read a statement from the 30-year-old, who abused and raped babies and children while working in impoverished areas of Malaysia. "I don't want to become a martyr to sex tourism in Malaysia.
  
  Read more

• Euro 2016 and the forgotten victims of Saint-Denis

  03-06-2016 13:30
  
  The European Championship starts on Friday in Saint-Denis, a fragile area where the inhabitants are still scarred by last November’s terrorist attacks but hopeful the tournament can mark a new beginningThe scarring might normally go unnoticed, but Aca Pavlovic knows where to look. He shuffles over to a lamppost on the corner of Impasse de la Cokerie and twists aside an advertisement for wholesale paint supplies to expose the damage beneath. The bite marks could have been chiselled out, so
  
  Read more

• EU Referendum Scorecard: Immigration moves centre-stage

  03-06-2016 13:21
  Immigration dominated the week after official figures showed net migration into Britain running at its second highest level ever, despite pledges by Prime Minister David Cameron to bring the numbers down. "Out" campaigners seized on the data to claim Britain's EU membership meant the country had no control over its borders and subsequent opinion polls showed marked gains by the Leave campaign. Leading Out figures like former London mayor Boris Johnson said Britain would introduce an Australian-s
  
  Read more

• Stade de France victim returns to scene: 'We're not the same people any more' - video

  03-06-2016 13:19
  
  Aca Pavlovic is one of the forgotten victims of last November’s attacks at the Stade de France when three suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the arena. Pavlovic, a scarf seller, and his wife were badly wounded in the third explosion. Here he revisits the arena and recalls the events of that night which would change his life forever. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• My ex hurt me when she dumped me. Now she is dying and wants to see me

  03-06-2016 13:17
  
  Five years ago, I was left devastated when my ex dropped me. I still feel hurt and angry, but I wonder if I should meet her briefly before she diesNine years ago, I met a wonderful woman with whom I fell in love very deeply; we had the most amazing connection and I learned so much from her. Then, five years ago, she dumped me. It was a huge shock and utterly devastating. She wanted to be friends, but I had to make a total break or I would have lived in constant agony. It took a good couple
  
  Read more

• 'A Lamentable Failure' That Brought Down BHS

  03-06-2016 13:16
  
  Criticism is growing of former BHS owner Sir Philip Green, following the chain's collapse on Thursday. The retailer's 163 stores are to close down after rescue bids failed, in the high street's biggest collapse since the failure of Woolworths in 2008. BHS plunged into administration in April, a year after being sold by billionaire retail mogul Sir Philip to little-known consortium Retail Acquisitions (RA).
  
  Read more

• Clegg: Boris And Trump Good At Exploiting Fear

  03-06-2016 12:47
  
  Boris Johnson and Donald Trump are both "trying to scare the living daylights out of people", according to former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg. The Liberal Democrat MP said both men were "good at exploiting fear" but had failed to provide answers to people's legitimate concerns. His criticism came as Northern Ireland Secretary and Leave campaigner Theresa Villiers warned "unsustainable" immigration levels were putting pressure on public services, which would continue grow unless the UK quit
  
  Read more

• Snails Use Just Two Brain Cells To Make Decisions

  03-06-2016 12:45
  
  Scientists have discovered that snails solve complex decisions using just two brain cells, in a discovery that could help engineers develop energy efficient robots. By attaching electrodes to the brain circuitry of freshwater snails that were on the hunt for food, researchers learned the molluscs used only two neurons when they found a tasty lettuce.
  
  Read more

• Sports quiz of the week: Euro 2016, French Open and Pelé's pricey prizes

  03-06-2016 12:29
  
  This week’s quiz is counting the days until France meet Romania in Saint-DenisWhich of the Home Nations has gone unbeaten for over a year?EnglandWalesScotlandNorthern IrelandAlastair Cook became the first English cricketer to reach 10,000 Test runs this week. Which Englishman has the second highest total, with 8,900?Kevin PietersenDavid GowerGraham GoochAlec StewartZinedine Zidane is the seventh person to have won the European Cup as a player and a manager. Which of these football men has
  
  Read more

• UK services pick up after April hit, EU vote still weighs - PMI

  03-06-2016 10:37
  By William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's services picked up in May after dropping to a three-year low in April, a survey showed on Friday, but the approach of the country's referendum on European Union membership weighed on new business and hiring. Overall, Britain's economy looks set to grow by 0.2 percent in the second quarter, stronger than the outlook a month ago but still a slowdown from growth of 0.4 percent in the first three months of 2016, survey compiler Markit said. "Growth h
  
  Read more

• Pocket Money Gender Gap: Boys Get 12% More

  03-06-2016 08:49
  
  Pocket money has hit a nine-year high but the gender gap is growing, with sons receiving almost 12% more than daughters. The Halifax survey of nearly 1,800 children aged eight to 15 and their parents found that they now receive £6.55 a week on average, up from £6.20 last year. There was also a gender gap last year but it was just 2%.
  
  Read more

• I feel I'm only invited to job interviews to make up the numbers

  03-06-2016 08:00
  
  I’m fed up with having my time wasted and find it very demoralising as I had high hopes of some of the jobs I applied for. It happens far too often
  Twice a week we publish problems that will feature in a forthcoming Dear Jeremy advice column in the Saturday Guardian so that readers can offer their own advice and suggestions. We then print the best of your comments alongside Jeremy’s own insights. Here is the latest dilemma – what are your thoughts?I’m going for job after
  
  Read more

• Tax Freedom Day Is At Its Latest In 15 Years

  03-06-2016 07:57
  
  'Tax freedom day' has fallen in June for the first time in 15 years, raising a "red flag" that the tax burden is moving in the wrong direction, according to a think tank. The Adam Smith Institute found that tax receipts are expected to be 42% of net national income this year and will take workers 154 days to cover. The institute's director Eamonn Butler said: "The Treasury hates tax freedom day because they don't want us to know how much tax we really pay.
  
  Read more

• Tata Under 'Massive Pressure' To Stay In UK

  03-06-2016 02:19
  
  The Government has refused to confirm reports it has offered steel giant, Tata, multimillion pound loans if it stays in the UK. The Indian firm announced its intention to sell its remaining UK steel operations in March, leaving around 11,000 jobs at risk. Since then at least seven potential buyers are believed to have put forward bids for Tata to consider, but speculation has been growing that the company is considering putting the sale on hold.
  
  Read more

• Prime Minister Admits EU 'Drives Me Crazy'

  03-06-2016 01:44
  
  David Cameron admitted the EU "drives me crazy" during heated exchanges in his first big EU referendum test on Sky News.
  
  Read more

• HEATWAVE woes for sun-loving Scots

  03-06-2016 01:01 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  DOZENS of sunburned Scots have ended up in hospital during the current heatwave.
  
  Read more

Follow @GeneralnewsUK on Twitter!