General news

• Forgotten man

  15-08-2016 22:57 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Who was Joseph Chamberlain - the man who seems to be inspiring new Prime Minister Theresa May?
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn spoke at a BAME rally in London

  15-08-2016 22:38
  
  And he did it standing on a fire engine.
  
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• Ex-Villa Star Dalian Atkinson Had 'Been Ill'

  15-08-2016 22:12
  Dalian Atkinson, 48, fell to the ground like a "lead balloon" according to a witness after he was hit by the Taser at around 1.30am on Monday. The 48-year-old's nephew, Fabian Atkinson, said officers would not have used a stun gun if they had known his medical history. Mr Atkinson said: "He had some health issues that he was trying to get through and that's why his heart was weak.
  
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• Policeman Sacked For 'Absolutely Stupid' Abusive Celebrity Tweets

  15-08-2016 19:10
  A police officer has been sacked after posting abusive tweets about celebrities and calling for a deprived estate to be bulldozed with "people still inside it". Pc Graham Wise, who also looked up information on criminals without justification - some of whom he went to school with - was found guilty of gross misconduct. Pc Wise admitted sending some of the expletive-laden messages from the police canteen during his breaks.
  
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• Police officer sacked over offensive tweets about celebrities and sports stars

  15-08-2016 18:10
  
  The policeman told officers he had been “absolutely stupid”.
  
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• Pilot Injured After Plane Crashes Into Tree In Salford

  15-08-2016 18:08
  One man has been injured after crashing a plane into a tree in Salford, Greater Manchester. The pilot was suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries after his single-seater aircraft came down near the City Airport & Heliport, known locally as the Barton Aerodrome. According to the Manchester Evening News, he also suffered "serious" head injuries.
  
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• Law firm that championed Iraqi claims against UK troops to close - media

  15-08-2016 17:43
  A British law firm that doggedly pursued allegations of killings and torture made by Iraqi claimants against British troops will close down at the end of the month after it lost vital government funding, British media reported on Monday. Public Interest Lawyers (PIL) had been widely criticised for driving a series of legal actions that resulted in a costly public inquiry into suspected unlawful killings that concluded after years of work the allegations were untrue. "This is the right outcome fo
  
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• Fabric to remain closed while drug deaths are investigated

  15-08-2016 17:18
  
  Two 18-year-old men have died following nights at the club over the past nine weeks.
  
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• Apprentices Can Earn 270% More Than University Graduates

  15-08-2016 17:09
  
  The average gap between the lifetime earnings of apprentices and university graduates has narrowed over recent years and currently stands at just £2,200, or 1.8%. The research, carried out by Barclays and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), comes days after a study suggested more than a third of graduates regret going to university because of the burden of debt they face after graduation. The report argues that, due to mounting university fees, the gap between the l
  
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• Four in 10 Olympic medals won by 'moderately to highly corrupt' nations

  15-08-2016 17:04
  
  The results were analysed using the Corruption Perceptions Index.
  
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• Centuries Old Devon Shipwrecks Given Protected Status

  15-08-2016 16:59
  Three historically important shipwrecks, which lie in the sands of Devon's coast, have been given protected status for their potential to shed light on key periods of British maritime history. The shipwrecks, one of which could date back as far as the 15th century,  are rare survivals of wooden sailing vessels found in English waters. The two other ships lie in the sands at Northam Burrows Country Park within a few hundred yards of each other, and are publicly accessible from the sands
  
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• Former Aston Villa player dies in police stun-gun incident

  15-08-2016 16:35
  Tributes poured in for former English premier league striker Dalian Atkinson on Monday after he died when police fired a high-voltage Taser stun-gun at him during an incident in his home town. West Mercia police said officers had been called to "a report for the concern for the safety of an individual" in Telford, central England, in the early hours of Monday and a Taser gun had been deployed. Atkinson, 48, whose former clubs included Aston Villa and Spain's Real Sociedad, was given medical trea
  
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• E.ON to compensate UK customers after gas meter mix-up

  15-08-2016 16:21
  British gas suppliers may have to compensate hundreds of their customers who were overcharged because of a mix-up involving metric and imperial measurements, with one having paid too much for 15 years. "Each case is being dealt with on an individual basis," E.ON spokesman Scott Somerville said, declining to say how much the problems would cost the company. Rivals Scottish Power, EDF Energy and SSE also indicated that small numbers of their customers could have been affected.
  
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• 'Brexit discount' makes London property cheaper for some

  15-08-2016 16:19
  By Costas Pitas LONDON (Reuters) - Price cuts of nearly 20 percent and a drop in the value of the pound have created "Brexit discount" bargains on some of the most expensive homes in central London -- if you have millions of pounds to spare. The UK property market was one of the first sectors hit by uncertainty after Britons voted to leave the European Union on June 23, at one point forcing more than 18 billion pounds worth of commercial property funds to be frozen. The property, in sought-after
  
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• Jason Kenny: 'The Michael Phelps Of The British Team'

  15-08-2016 15:33
  Jason Kenny has won as many gold medals as British Olympic legends Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Bradley Wiggins. By his own admission, the man from Bolton - who secured his fifth Olympic gold in the sprint on Sunday - shies away from the limelight. Kenny was awarded an OBE after the 2012 games in London, and has his local leisure centre named after him.
  
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• Dalian Atkinson: Aston Villa fans are planning to get their umbrellas out in tribute

  15-08-2016 15:31
  
  Fans plan to mark Atkinson’s most famous strike after the former Villa fan died having been Tasered by police.
  
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• Owen Smith: 100% public funding for NHS an 'absolute red line'

  15-08-2016 15:06
  
  Labour leadership contender Owen Smith has tried to shoot down claims he supports privatisation in the NHS in a major speech on the health service. The former shadow work and pensions secretary said a publicly funded NHS would be an "absolute red line" for him if he became Labour leader. Mr Smith accused Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt of "covering-up" the true level of private sector spending after initial estimates for 2014/15 were revised up by more than a billion pounds.
  
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• A third French town bans burkini swimwear after clash among bathers

  15-08-2016 14:59
  
  The ban in Sisco is aimed at calming religious tensions and protecting Muslims, the town’s mayor said.
  
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• Fans And Players Pay Tribute To 'Football Hero' Dalian Atkinson

  15-08-2016 14:58
  Football fans and former teammates have paid tribute to ex-Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson who died after he was shot by a police Taser. Fan Kevin Ford wrote on Twitter: "Absolutely gutted about the Dalian Atkinson news. Aston Villa tweeted images of the 48-year-old during his time at the club, and wrote: "RIP Dalian Atkinson.
  
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• George Low's Family 'Numb' After Fatal Stabbing In Ayia Napa

  15-08-2016 14:54
  The mother of a 22-year-old man stabbed and killed in the holiday resort of Ayia Napa in Cyprus has said her family have been left "numb" at his death. George Low, an estate agent from from Dartford, Kent, died from a stab wound to the neck on the last day of his week-long break in the party town. Mr Low's mother, Helen, 47, said her husband Martyn and their children Wesley, Laura, Oliver and Millie, were "heartbroken".
  
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• Sports Direct Agrees to Back Pay Worth £1m

  15-08-2016 14:11
  
  Sports Direct has agreed to grant thousands of workers back pay totalling around £1m following the admission that the company had not been paying the minimum wage. The deal was struck between Sports Direct, HMRC and the Unite Union and will grant workers pay dating back to May 2012. Both agency workers and contracted staff who are employed at the company's Shirebrook warehouse in Derbyshire will be reimbursed, with some expected to receive up to £1,000.
  
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• Boris Johnson 'Running Country' While Theresa May On Holiday

  15-08-2016 14:11
  Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is running the country while the Prime Minister is on her annual walking holiday. Mrs May went away on a walking holiday in Switzerland at the end of last week, leaving Chancellor Philip Hammond as the senior duty minister. There was some criticism of Mrs May for appointing Mr Johnson to the role of Foreign Secretary because he had an unfortunate history of insulting foreign leaders.
  
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• This is what happened when it was announced Boris Johnson is in charge while PM Theresa May is on holiday

  15-08-2016 14:08
  
  The internet went into a meltdown, obviously.
  
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• UKIP Leadership Candidate Quits Saying He Can Only Come Second

  15-08-2016 13:32
  A UKIP leadership candidate has stepped down saying he was not prepared to "court controversy in order to gain column inches" to grab the top job. Jonathan Arnott says he thinks he can only come second because while he is "leading the race across the North" he lacks support south of the border. In a lengthy post on his website explaining his reasons for stepping down, the MEP for North East also exposed the level of infighting in the wake of the Nigel Farage leadership.
  
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• Former Aston Villa player dies in police stun-gun incident - reports

  15-08-2016 13:07
  Former English premier league striker Dalian Atkinson has died after police fired a high-voltage Taser stun-gun at him, according to media reports on Monday. West Mercia police said officers were called to "a report for the concern for the safety of an individual" in Telford, central England, in the early hours of Monday and a Taser gun had been deployed. Media reports said Atkinson, 48, whose former clubs included Aston Villa and Spain's Real Sociedad, was the dead man.
  
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• 'Ex-Aston Villa Player Dalian Atkinson' Dies In Police Tasering

  15-08-2016 13:00
  A man who died after he was shot by police with a Taser gun has been named locally as ex-Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson. Officers were called to a home in Meadow Close, Telford, Shrophire in the early hours of this morning amid concerns "for the safety of an individual". West Mercia Police said the 48-year-old man was given medical treatment after being hit by a stun gun but died around 90 minutes later.
  
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• Former Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson dies after being Tasered by police

  15-08-2016 12:47
  
  He was confirmed dead at hospital.
  
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• Santander Cut Interest Rates On 123 Account

  15-08-2016 12:44
  
  Santander has announced it will be reducing the amount of interest its customers can earn from its hugely popular 123 current account. Santander's 123 current account is a flagship offering from the bank and allows customers to claim cashback on household bills for a £5 monthly fee - a feature which will not be affected by the interest rate change. The cut follows a decision by the Bank of England to reduce the base interest rate to an historic low of 0.25% at their monthly meeting on 4&nb
  
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• May throwing full weight behind winning best Brexit deal - spokesman

  15-08-2016 12:37
  Prime Minister Theresa May is throwing the full weight of government behind her goal of winning the best Brexit deal for Britain but will not trigger the formal divorce procedure before the end of the year, her spokesman said on Monday. Asked about weekend media reports which suggested that May would delay invoking Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon treaty to trigger the formal exit procedure until later next year, her spokesman told reporters: "The PM is providing the kind of leadership you would ex
  
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• See the dramatic moment this plane plunged into the sea during an air show

  15-08-2016 12:12
  
  Spectators rushed forward to right the light aircraft and, luckily, the pilot is safe.
  
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• Man Dies After Being Tasered By Police

  15-08-2016 12:06
  Officers were called to a home in Meadow Close, Telford, in the early hours of this morning amid concerns "for the safety of an individual". West Mercia Police said the man was given medical treatment after being tasered but died around 90 minutes later. An ambulance spokesman said while he was being taken to Princess Royal Hospital his condition deteriorated and he suffered a cardiac arrest.
  
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• UK firms cautious on jobs, house prices down after Brexit vote

  15-08-2016 12:05
  British employers have turned more cautious about hiring and the price of homes for sale fell by the most since late 2015, according to surveys that added to signs the economy has stumbled since the Brexit referendum. Earlier this month, the Bank of England cut interest rates and took other measures to soften the impact of Brexit, which it believes will push up the unemployment rate sharply. The CIPD, a human resources group, and staffing firm Adecco Group UK & Ireland, also said one in five
  
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• Brexit vote to have 'limited' economic impact on Germany - Bundesbank

  15-08-2016 12:03
  Britain's vote to leave the European Union should have limited immediate economic impact on Germany, the country's central bank said on Monday, noting the mood among entrepreneurs remained positive. The Bundesbank expects the German economy to have continued to expand over the summer, underpinned by exports, industrial production, construction and consumer spending. "Against the background of an intense public debate about the economic effects of the announced exit of the United Kingdom from the
  
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• E.ON to compensate UK users after gas metering mistake

  15-08-2016 11:10
  German utility E.ON said on Monday it would compensate around 350 residential and business consumers in Britain for overcharging which it blamed on a mix-up involving metric and imperial measurements. "It was generally because customers with a metric meter had been registered as having an imperial meter or vice versa," E.ON said in a statement.
  
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• 'Zombie Knives' Sellers Face Jail As Ban Comes Into Force This Week

  15-08-2016 11:01
  A government crackdown on the lethal weapons comes in the form of an amendment to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 prohibiting the sale, manufacture, rental or importation of the blades. It also follows the conviction of a teenager for manslaughter earlier this year who was jailed for life for stabbing another 17-year-old to death with a "Zombie Killer" machete in north London in June 2015. Stefan Appleton, from Islington, died in hospital after he was attacked by Blaise Lewinson who had a "fascina
  
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• RBS says main office would move if Scotland were independent - BBC

  15-08-2016 10:46
  Royal Bank of Scotland would move its main office from Scotland if the nation were to split from the UK after Britain's vote to leave the European Union, although moving domicile would not mean major job losses, the head of RBS has said. "The Royal Bank of Scotland would just be too big for the economy (...) but that's around the plaque and not about where our people (are) because we have a very big business up here in Scotland," Chief Executive Ross McEwen told the BBC in an interview. "We will
  
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• This is the UK airport where you can expect the most delays

  15-08-2016 10:36
  
  According to information from the Civil Aviation Authority, FYI.
  
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• Shop Vacancies Rise Above 10% In Town Centres

  15-08-2016 08:05
  The percentage of shops sitting vacant in town centres across the UK rose above 10% in July, with less people indulging in retail therapy compared to a year ago. This is according to the British Retail Consortium's monthly monitoring report, which also showed that the amount of people going to the shops in July was down 0.4% compared to the same month last year.
  
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• Owen Smith: Tories Have 'Secret Plans To Privatise NHS'

  15-08-2016 07:50
  Labour leadership candidate Owen Smith has accused the Tories of planning to privatise the NHS ahead of a major speech on the health service. Mr Smith will accuse Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt of "covering-up" the true level of private sector spending after initial estimates for 2014/15 were revised up by more than a billion pounds.
  
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• Call For 'Drive-Safe' Modes For Smartphones

  15-08-2016 05:40
  Road safety experts have called for smartphones to be fitted with a "drive-safe" mode - similar to the flight-safe option - to help stop drivers being "distracted or overwhelmed with information" at the wheel. The RAC Foundation claims that every year there are around 70 fatal accidents on Britain's roads caused by motorists being distracted. The motoring charity's director Steve Gooding said: "In many ways smartphone technology and mobile communications are a godsend for roa
  
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• Prosecco Sales Sparkle As Brits Develop Thirst For Fizz

  15-08-2016 03:06
  Sparkling wine sales in the UK have increased by 80% in the last five years – and more is now being made at home, according to HM Revenue and Customs figures. Accountancy group UHY Hacker Young estimates that 31.6 million gallons of prosecco and cava will be sold in 2015/16 - up from 17.6 million gallons in 2011/12. Prosecco and cava are two of the most popular types of affordable Champagne alternatives, with many bottles sold for less than £10.
  
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• NHS Hospitals 'Being Crippled' By Cost Of Agency Staff

  15-08-2016 03:02
  
  Nearly every single hospital trust is breaching caps on the amount they can spend on agency staff because they can't recruit enough doctors and nurses to safely staff wards. At Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral a recruitment drive for nurses means just 5% of nursing posts are vacant, around half the national average. Despite that the Chief Executive David Allison says hospitals cannot go on providing care for increasing numbers of patients.
  
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• Andy Murray Gold Caps Sensational Sunday For Team GB In Rio

  15-08-2016 02:33
  Andy Murray has won his second Olympic gold medal with victory in the men's tennis in Rio - capping a sensational Sunday for Team GB. The Wimbledon champion wept tears of joy after beating Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro in an epic four-set encounter lasting more then four hours. Murray's win came after Max Whitlock floored his rivals in the men's gymnastics by taking two gold medals in just 75 minutes apart.
  
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• Plane Crashes Into Sea During Herne Bay Airshow

  15-08-2016 02:02
  Spectators have rushed into the sea to help a pilot whose plane crashed into water during an airshow. The aircraft from a display team hit the water in front of thousands of people at the Herne Bay Airshow in Kent at around 3.30pm on Sunday. The plane flipped and came to rest upside down around 20m from the shore, leaving the pilot struggling to get out of the partially submerged cockpit.
  
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• UK employers scale back hiring plans after Brexit vote - survey

  15-08-2016 01:10
  British employers have turned more cautious about hiring and are less likely to invest in training for their workers following the decision in June by voters to leave the European Union, a survey showed on Monday. The proportion of employers expecting to increase staffing over the next three months dropped from 40 percent before the referendum to 36 percent after it, according to the CIPD, an organisation representing human resources professionals, and staffing firm Adecco Group UK & Ireland
  
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• Prices of UK homes for sale see biggest fall in nine months in August - Rightmove

  15-08-2016 01:05
  The price of homes for sale in England and Wales fell in August, posting the biggest drop since November, as the summer lull added to uncertainty surrounding Britain's decision to leave the European Union, property website Rightmove said on Monday. Asking prices fell by a monthly 1.2 percent, according to a survey by Rightmove that covers properties put on sale between July 10 and Aug. 6, after shedding 0.9 percent in July. "Many prospective buyers take a summer break from home-hunting, and thos
  
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• Stop everything - London rent prices have dropped for first time since 2010

  15-08-2016 01:04
  
  There’s hope. There’s finally hope.
  
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