General news

• Transgender soldier becomes first woman on frontline of British Army

  16-09-2016 23:46
  Britain's first female infantry soldier to serve in the Army has told how she was born a boy and is honoured "to be able to make history". Chloe Allen, who joined the service in 2012 as a man called Ben, serves as a member of 1st Battalion, the Scots Guards. Speaking to The Sun, Guardsman Allen said: "It is a great honour to be able to make history and at the same time do my job, it's just brilliant, I'm just looked at as a normal person.
  
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• Lost in grief

  16-09-2016 23:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Older people are increasingly saving their loved ones from the cost of a funeral by paying in advance - but many families are unaware because they are scared to talk about death.
  
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• Campbell and McDonnell in 'violent shouting match'

  16-09-2016 22:45
  John McDonnell called Alastair Campbell a "f****** a*******" in a bruising backstage row on the set of a political panel show. The two Labour heavyweights, having traded insults on Thursday's BBC Question Time, continued the row off-air as the shadow chancellor and former New Labour spin doctor engaged in a "violent shouting match", according to one astonished onlooker. "Alastair told John that 'you and yours are going to destroy the Labour party', and John called Alastair a f****** a*******", a
  
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• Brexit talks: No compromise with UK on free movement, Juncker warns

  16-09-2016 21:22
  There can be no compromise between the EU and the UK on the issue of free movement, the European Commission's president has said. Jean-Claude Juncker, who is in Bratislava for a summit of top EU officials, said: "We want to have very good, very close relation with the UK. "Concerning the freedom of movement of workers and of persons ... we are sticking to that position and this is not a game between prime ministers leaving and prime ministers remaining, this is about people in Europe.
  
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• Autistic Briton can be extradited to U.S. on hacking charges, court rules

  16-09-2016 19:21
  By Peter Hobson LONDON (Reuters) - A London court on Friday approved the extradition of an autistic British man to the United States to face trial for hacking high-security state computers, despite warnings he might kill himself if sent to a U.S. jail. Lauri Love, 31, who has Asperger's syndrome, is accused of involvement in a series of hacks in 2012 and 2013 into computers at agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. army, the Missile Defense Agency and the Federal
  
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• U.S. Is Investigating Bosch in Widening VW Diesel-Cheat Scandal - Bloomberg

  16-09-2016 19:04 via bloomberg.com
  
  BBC News
  U.S. Is Investigating Bosch in Widening VW Diesel-Cheat Scandal
  Bloomberg
  U.S. prosecutors are investigating whether Germany's Robert Bosch GmbH, which provided software to Volkswagen AG, conspired with the automaker to engineer diesel cars that would cheat U.S. emissions testing, according to two people familiar with the ...
  Brexit: No substantive talks for 12 months, Herman Van Rompuy predictsBBC Newsall 87 news articles »
  
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• UKIP elects new leader to fill Brexit talisman Farage's shoes

  16-09-2016 19:03
  By William James BOURNEMOUTH, England (Reuters) - The UK Independence Party picked a new leader on Friday to replace Nigel Farage, a key player in Britain's vote to leave the European Union, with the incoming Diane James pledging to ensure Britain follows through with a full withdrawal from the bloc. James, a former business analyst and the party's deputy chairwoman, said she would work to ensure that the Conservative government did not negotiate a soft Brexit. "This is what I want you to believ
  
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• Islamic State supporter Mohammed Syeedy jailed for imam's murder

  16-09-2016 18:57
  
  An Islamic State supporter has been jailed for the murder of a religious leader from his own mosque. Jalal Uddin, 71, was killed in a park as he made his way home from the Jalalia Jame mosque in Rochdale after evening prayers on 18 February. Former Manchester United steward Mohammed Syeedy, 21, was convicted of murder after jurors were told he helped plan the attack and was the getaway driver.
  
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• Hatton Garden gang member Brian Reader fails to get sentence cut

  16-09-2016 18:19
  The oldest member of the Hatton Garden jewellery raid gang has failed to get his sentence reduced. Judges at the Court of Appeal in London were asked to show "mercy" to the 77-year-old following a "dramatic" deterioration in his health. The gang ransacked 73 boxes at Hatton Garden Safe Deposit in London after using a drill to bore a hole into the vault wall.
  
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• With Brexit in spotlight, London picks up fashion show baton

  16-09-2016 18:04
  A rainy London kicked off five days of catwalk shows on Friday, with questions over what consequences Brexit may have on Britain's apparel industry looming over fashionistas. Picking up the runway calendar baton from New York, London hosts its first fashion week since Britain's shock vote to leave the European Union, with a mix of luxury and high street labels unveiling their spring/summer 2017 offerings to buyers and magazine editors from around the world. A survey by the British Fashion Counci
  
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• Islamic State supporter Mohammed Syeedy guilty of imam's murder

  16-09-2016 17:25
  
  A supporter of Islamic State has been found guilty of murdering a religious leader from his own mosque in Rochdale. Jalal Uddin, 71, was murdered in a park as he made his way home from the Jalalia Jame mosque in Rochdale after evening prayers on 18 February. Mohammed Syeedy, 21, was convicted of murder after jurors were told he helped plan the attack and was the getaway driver.
  
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• Vet raised fears about aggressive dog months before it killed Molly-Mae

  16-09-2016 17:22
  A dog had been documented as aggressive nine months before it fatally savaged a six-month-old baby, according to a report. Molly-Mae Wotherspoon died after she was attacked by American pitbull Bruiser at the family home in Daventry in October 2014. Concerns were raised by a vet who treated the dog, which was described by Molly-Mae's mother Claire Riley as a Staffordshire bull terrier-mastiff cross.
  
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• Islamic State-inspired Briton guilty of murdering imam

  16-09-2016 17:15
  A British Muslim was found guilty on Friday of being inspired by the militant Islamic State group to help murder a respected local imam who he believed was practising "black magic". Mohammed Syeedy, 21, and accomplice Mohammed Abdul Kadir followed their victim Jalal Uddin as he walked home from evening prayers at his mosque in Rochdale, northern England, in February and bludgeoned him to death in a park. The attackers, who both followed the Salafist strand of Islam espoused by Islamic State - al
  
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• UKIP has elected a new leader... and spawned an awkward meme in the process

  16-09-2016 17:14
  
  Diane James couldn’t get away from Nigel Farage fast enough.
  
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• How to enjoy Oktoberfest without drinking any beer

  16-09-2016 17:13
  
  Oktoberfest has much more to offer then just beer.
  
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• Mum of 5 aged 27 on £19k benefits claims she can’t afford to buy school uniforms

  16-09-2016 17:11 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  A MOTHER claims she can't afford to buy school uniforms for her five children - despite receiving £19,200-a-year benefits.
  
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• Bank of England's 'Carnage' rues not being NHL goalie

  16-09-2016 16:50
  Bank of England Governor Mark Carney told British schoolchildren on Friday he was nicknamed 'Carnage' in his youth and wished he had been a professional ice hockey goalie. Showing a lighter side after months of political and economic turmoil following Britain's vote to leave the European Union, Carney also said he preferred dogs to cats, enjoyed TV cookery contest 'The Great British Bake Off' and was partial to Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate. One of the first questions Carney was asked was wheth
  
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• IS supporter Mohammed Syeedy found guilty of imam's murder

  16-09-2016 16:09
  A supporter of Islamic State has been found guilty of murdering a religious leader from his own mosque in Rochdale. Jalal Uddin, 71, was murdered in a park as he made his way home from the Jalalia Jame mosque in Rochdale after evening prayers on 18 February. Manchester Crown Court heard that Mr Uddin's killers planned the murder over several months and had grown to hate the imam because he practised a form of religious healing that is considered by supporters of Isl
  
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• Alleged British hacker Lauri Love to be sent for trial in US

  16-09-2016 16:07
  An autistic man accused of hacking into US government computers can be extradited to the States to stand trial, a judge has ruled. Lauri Love, who has Asperger Syndrome, is said to have stolen huge amounts of data from US agencies including the Federal Reserve, the Department of Defence, NASA and the FBI. Mr Love stood in the dock, wearing a purple sash as a belt, as district judge Nina Tempia ruled he can be sent to the US, where he could face three separate trials in different j
  
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• Court approves U.S. request to extradite Briton suspected of hacking FBI, Fed

  16-09-2016 16:02
  By Peter Hobson LONDON (Reuters) - A court in London on Friday approved the extradition of a British man to the United States to face trial for hacking high-security state computers, despite warnings he might kill himself if sent to a U.S. jail. Lauri Love, 32, who has Asperger's syndrome, faces a lifetime in prison in the United States if found guilty of involvement in a series of hacks in 2012 and 2013 into computers at agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. arm
  
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• Quick - British Airways are offering a free first class upgrade, but it won't last long

  16-09-2016 15:59
  
  This December British Airways are offering a free upgrade to first class travel with Club World tickets.
  
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• Diane James announced as new leader of UKIP

  16-09-2016 15:47
  
  The first female leader of the party, who won 8,451 votes, was immediately welcomed on stage by Nigel Farage and said it was an honour to be chosen to succeed him. Ms James said it was now the job of the party to make sure they were "race ready" for the 2020 General Election and appealed for the party to come together to deliver a credible manifesto, attractive to voters. :: Who is Diane James?
  
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• Diane James sees off rivals to replace Nigel Farage as UKIP leader

  16-09-2016 15:21
  
  Diane James has been voted in as the new Ukip leader.
  
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• UKIP elects new leader as Brexit talisman Farage steps aside

  16-09-2016 14:53
  Britain's anti-European Union UK Independence Party elected deputy chairwoman Diane James its new leader on Friday to replace Brexit talisman Nigel Farage who stepped down after helping to win the referendum on EU membership in June. James, currently a member of the European parliament, was announced as the party's new head at its annual conference in the southern English coastal town of Bournemouth after a ballot of UKIP's 40,000 members. "We are the political change movement of the United King
  
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• Outgoing anti-EU firebrand Farage demands his party push for 'hard' Brexit

  16-09-2016 14:42
  By William James Bournemouth, England (Reuters) - Nigel Farage, the firebrand of Britain's Brexit campaign, used his final speech as leader of the UK Independence Party on Friday to demand that his successor pushes for a "hard" EU exit that meets the demands of his party's voters. UKIP played a crucial role in the June 23 European Union referendum, tapping into anger at Brussels and rising anti-establishment sentiment to fuel a surprise 52-48 percent exit vote which rocked global financial marke
  
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• Tea from a spray can promises end to soggy bags

  16-09-2016 14:11
  If there is one thing the British enjoy, it is a good cup of tea and one English drinks maker has come up with an unusual way of making the brew - sprayed into a cup from an aerosol can. No More Tea Bags is pre-brewed and dispensed from an aluminium spray can. "It was really about just trying to make a better cup of tea," maker Guy Woodall, whose Yum Cha Drinks company sells iced tea, told Reuters at his farm.
  
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• Niagara, Shakespeare and the Hamptons of the north: 10 epic trips in Ontario

  16-09-2016 13:59
  Adrenaline junkies, A-listers, ghost hunters and gastronomers alike will find something to love about the region around Toronto. Follow local expert Katharine Fletcher’s exhilarating itinerary across OntarioNiagara
  Niagara Falls is not just a waterfall, it’s also a city and a region. Here you’ll find the picturesque town Niagara-on-the-Lake, which plays host to the Shaw Festival – an internationally acclaimed theatre festival. The area around the town is home to a number
  
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• Alan Barnes offers JUST £10 to woman facing huge legal bill who helped him raise £330,000

  16-09-2016 13:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  
  DISABLED mugging victim Alan Barnes has called for others to help the woman whose efforts raised £330,000 for him after he was mugged.
  
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• Prince William steps in as Essex dignitary slips up during visit

  16-09-2016 13:29
  Prince William valiantly came to the aid of his grandmother's representative in Essex who took a tumble during a Royal visit. The Duke of Cambridge was one of a number who rushed to help Jonathan Douglas-Hughes, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, when he seemed to slip on a wet pavement. As the Queen's representative of the county, Mr Douglas-Hughes was looking after William and Kate, who had just arrived for a visit to the Stewards Academy in Harlow.
  
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• Julian Assange just lost his appeal for sexual assault case to be set aside

  16-09-2016 13:18
  
  The WikiLeaks founder has been staying in London’s Ecuadoran embassy since 2012 in a bid to escape extradition to Sweden.
  
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• GSK closes UK factory due to flooding

  16-09-2016 12:45
  Britain's biggest drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline said it had been forced to shut a factory at Maidenhead west of London due to flooding, potentially causing disruption to the site which produces toothpaste and mouthwash. A spokesman said GSK closed the plant at around 0300 British time due to torrential rain which had affected drains and would look to reopen the site once the weather forecast improved. Britain was hit by heavy rain across the south of England on Friday, causing transport disruption a
  
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• Convicted murderer absconds from open prison in Lincolnshire

  16-09-2016 12:30
  Police are searching for a convicted murderer who has gone missing from an open prison in Lincolnshire.
  
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• Waiting game

  16-09-2016 12:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  George Osborne's fascinating Today interview shows a man who far from exiting the political stage is prepared to bide his time.
  
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• Flooding as torrential rains batter South East

  16-09-2016 11:54
  
  Flash flooding has caused travel chaos across parts of England as half a month's rain fell in just a few hours. The Met Office put in place amber warnings across London, the East and South East of England after a band of torrential rain moved in from the Channel overnight. Roads and properties were flooded across Surrey, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and Greater London, while pictures on social media showed submerged train stations in Didcot, Newbury and Chieveley.
  
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• George Osborne is back to save his Northern Powerhouse

  16-09-2016 11:23
  
  The former Chancellor said that the new administration had to be persuaded over his flagship idea.
  
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• MPs to scrutinise executive pay and governance

  16-09-2016 10:59
  "We need to look again at the laws that govern business and how they are enforced," chairman Iain Wright said. MPs will also consider ways to boost the number of women in executive positions, with a recent inquiry suggesting that most of Britain's biggest firms are failing to reach a target of 25 percent of executives being women.
  
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• MPs launch probe into executive pay and corporate governance

  16-09-2016 10:49
  
  MPs are to investigate soaring executive pay as part of a wide-ranging probe in the way UK companies are run and the laws that govern them. The announcement of the probe into corporate governance - first revealed by Sky News - follows anger over working practices at Sports Direct and the collapse of BHS. Boardroom pay has also been in the spotlight amid shareholder revolts at business giants such as BP and Smith & Nephew.
  
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• George Osborne says PM May had 'wobble' over Northern Powerhouse

  16-09-2016 10:44
  
  The former chancellor says Theresa May had a "wobble" over her commitment to a Northern Powerhouse when she took over as Prime Minister. Speaking for the first time since he was sacked, George Osborne acknowledged he had to persuade the Government to push forward with his vision for a Northern Powerhouse after she took office. The Prime Minister was immediately critical of the narrow focus of Mr Osborne's plans and voiced reservations about the focus on only one or two great cities - M
  
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• Travel chaos as flash floods batter South East

  16-09-2016 10:41
  
  Flash flooding has caused travel chaos across parts of England as half a month's rain fell in just a few hours. The Met Office has put in place amber warnings across London, the East and South East of England after a band of torrential rain moved in from the Channel overnight. Roads and properties were flooded across Surrey, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and Greater London, while pictures on social media showed submerged train stations in Didcot, Newbury and Chieveley.
  
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• Train hits landslide and derails near Watford Junction

  16-09-2016 10:38
  A train has hit a landslide near Watford Junction causing it to strike another train and derail. There were no reports of injuries, but services in and out of London Euston are facing "major disruption". A spokesman for London Midland said: "There is a train derailment at Watford Junction - it is the 6.19 service from Milton Keynes to London Euston.
  
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• MoD 'extremely sorry' over Iraqi boy drowned in canal in Basra

  16-09-2016 10:27
  The Ministry of Defence has apologised for the death of an Iraqi boy who drowned after being "forced" into a canal in Basra by four British soldiers. Ahmad Jabbar Kareem, 15, died in the Shatt Al Basra canal in May 2003 after being stopped by British troops who suspected him of looting near the Basra General Hospital. The apology comes after a report by former High Court judge Sir George Newman, head of the Iraq Fatality Investigations (IFI) set up in 2013, found the teenager was "aggr
  
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• Jimmy Fallon messed up Donald Trump's hair on his show and the internet is furious with him

  16-09-2016 10:01
  
  Many viewers believed Fallon hosted the segment with an inappropriate tone, given the controversy surrounding Trump.
  
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• Wholesale gas surges 31 percent in 24 hours

  16-09-2016 09:55
  (Reuters) - The British day-ahead gas price has soared 31 percent higher in the last 24 hours driven by rising demand, falling production and the diversion of one liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment. In early trade on Friday, the day-ahead contract was up 7 percent to 28 pence per therm, building on gains of 24 percent on Thursday. (Reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic in Milan; editing by Jason Neely)
  
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• Cheers for Scotch whisky as exports return to growth

  16-09-2016 09:50
  Scotch whisky exports have grown for the first time in three years, helped by a surge in demand from India. The SWA said the fall in the pound since the Brexit vote was likely to have a positive effect for the rest of 2016, though leaving the European Union would also present challenges for exporters. France and the US are the drink's biggest export markets by volume but India, in third place, saw a 41% surge in demand.
  
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• Travel chaos as flash floods batter southeast

  16-09-2016 09:42
  
  Flash flooding has caused travel chaos across the southeast of England as half a month's rain fell in just a few hours this morning. It comes as a train hit a landslide near Watford Junction, causing it to "strike another train and derail". Met Office meteorologist Martin Combe said 32.8mm of rain had fallen in just three hours in Farnborough, Hampshire - nearly half the 70mm average for September.
  
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• Major disruption for commuters after Watford train derailment

  16-09-2016 09:39
  
  The incident occurred near the tunnels at Watford Junction station, with no injuries currently reported.
  
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• Trains hits landslide and derails near Watford Junction

  16-09-2016 09:34
  A train has hit a landslide near Watford Junction causing it to "strike another train and derail", according to Virgin Trains. There were no immediate reports of injuries but services in and out of London Euston are facing "major disruption". Fire and ambulance services are at the scene at the Hunton Bridge Tunnel.
  
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• Farage: Archbishop of Canterbury 'should go'

  16-09-2016 09:12
  
  The outgoing UKIP leader has said the Archbishop of Canterbury should go because he is not prepared to "stand up for Christian values". Speaking to Sky News as he prepared to give his last conference speech as leader of the party, he rounded on Justin Welby, who criticised him for giving legitimacy to racism during the EU referendum campaign. Mr Farage accused the Archbishop of failing to do his job properly, claiming he had not adequately protected Christian values in the UK.
  
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• Thunderstorms put an end to the heatwave and batter the country with torrential rain

  16-09-2016 09:06
  
  The Met Office said 32.8mm of rain had fallen in just three hours in Farnborough, Hampshire – nearly half the 70mm average for September.
  
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• Skepta beats David Bowie to win 25th Mercury Prize

  16-09-2016 08:44
  Grime artist Skepta has been announced as the winner of the Mercury Prize, the UK's most prestigious music award. The north London-born singer won the award and the £25,000 prize for his fourth studio album Konnichiwa at the ceremony at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London, on Thursday night. The album was released on Skepta's Boy Better Know record label which he co-founded with his brother JME in 2005 and was described by industry figures as "confident, funny, clever, scary, persona
  
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