General news

• Nasa's latest discovery could make finding life in our solar system a lot easier

  26-09-2016 21:37
  
  One of Jupiter’s moons is seen as among the most promising sites for life in the solar system.
  
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• Four charged after police find explosive device in County Armagh

  26-09-2016 20:11
  Four men have been charged after the discovery of an improvised explosive device in Lurgan, County Armagh. Officers investigating dissident republican activity recovered an explosively formed projectile (EFP) which was ready for deployment, Police Service of Northern Ireland said. An EFP is an improvised explosive device designed to penetrate armour plating when fired from a makeshift launcher at close range.
  
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• Canada confirms second ship of doomed Franklin Arctic voyage found

  26-09-2016 19:15
  Canada confirmed on Monday it has found the wreck of HMS Terror, the second of two British ships lost in the disastrous Franklin Arctic voyage of 1845, and said the government will work closely with northern aboriginals on ownership of the artefacts. Parks Canada, a federal agency, said in a statement it will work on "joint ownership" of the wreckage from the journey through Canada's Northwest Passage. The Guardian newspaper reported earlier this month that the Arctic Research Foundation, a priv
  
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• Team Sky '100% clean' amid Wiggins controversy

  26-09-2016 18:26
  Team Sky will in future reveal all cases where its riders have been given permission to use banned substances for medical purposes. It follows the controversy over Sir Bradley Wiggins' use of a powerful anti-inflammatory drug to treat breathing difficulties before his 2012 Tour de France victory. Team principal Sir Dave Brailsford revealed the change of policy as he offered a robust defence of the decision to seek three Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) for Sir Bradley to be injected with the co
  
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• Large backside, pennies and train among Turner Prize contenders

  26-09-2016 18:08
  A large sculpture of a bare backside and a model train were among the artworks unveiled at the Turner Prize exhibition in London on Monday in the run-up to Britain's annual contemporary art award. The Tate Britain museum presented works by the four contenders for this year's award, which will be announced on Dec. 5. Among this year's nominees are Andrea Hamilton whose "Lichen! Libido! (London!) Chastity!" is a re-staging of an exhibition in New York.
  
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• Boris Johnson meets Syrian refugees during Turkey visit

  26-09-2016 18:06
  Boris Johnson has met with Syrian refugees during the first day of his official visit to Turkey. After arriving in Gaziantep, the Foreign Secretary toured a nursery and spoke to families at the Nizip refugee camp. Mr Johnson was also escorted to a site where UN aid trucks are stationed, before he watched a group of Syrians training in detecting and disposing of improvised explosive devices.
  
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• Labour lock horns with business over economic reform

  26-09-2016 17:55
  By William James LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - The Labour Party clashed with business groups on Monday after setting out a left-wing economic agenda aimed at boosting their chances of winning power by re-engaging with working class voters who backed leaving the European Union. Finance spokesman John McDonnell, a veteran socialist, said Labour would raise the minimum wage, change company law to prevent firms taking on excessive debts to benefit shareholders, and redouble efforts to eradicate tax
  
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• Ejector seat firm to be prosecuted over Red Arrows pilot death

  26-09-2016 16:46
  An ejector seat manufacturer is to be prosecuted over the death of Red Arrows pilot Sean Cunningham, the Health and Safety Executive said. Flight Lieutenant Cunningham, 35, died after his ejector seat initiated during pre-flight checks of his Hawk XX177 jet at RAF Scampton in November 2011. Martin Baker Aircraft Ltd will be prosecuted over an alleged breach of health and safety law.
  
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• What does the future hold for the Calais Jungle camp's residents?

  26-09-2016 16:27
  
  The camp is set to be demolished.
  
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• Mowing the lawn and rubbish wi-fi: EuroMillions winners spill the beans on their millionaires' problems

  26-09-2016 16:18
  
  Some of their concerns may surprise you.
  
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• British police seek toddler missing for 25 years on Greek island

  26-09-2016 15:51
  By Vassilis Triandafyllou KOS, Greece (Reuters) - British police began excavations in a field on a Greek island on Monday, saying they had new leads in the disappearance of a British toddler there 25 years ago. South Yorkshire Police, leading the investigation, said they would focus their attention on two sites on the island of Kos close to where Ben Needham was last seen on July 24, 1991. Detective Inspector Jon Cousins said new information on the case surfaced in May, following a public appeal
  
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• London still top finance centre, but Brexit may change that - survey

  26-09-2016 15:36
  By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - London's role as the world's top financial centre could be under threat as the implications of Britain leaving the European Union start to sink in, a survey showed on Monday. The Z/Yen 20th global financial centres index (GFCI), which looks at 87 financial centres, showed that London remains just ahead of New York, followed by Singapore and Hong Kong. "Looking ahead to GFCI 21, assessments given to London in July and August are significantly down from previous lev
  
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• Gatwick boss Wingate accuses Commission of runway decision mistakes

  26-09-2016 15:33
  Gatwick Airport's chief executive has launched a scathing attack on the Airports Commission ahead of the publication of its final submission calling for it to be allowed to build a second runway. The Government is expected to make a decision during the next six weeks on how runway capacity in the southeast of England should be expanded. Three possible options have been shortlisted: a third runway at Heathrow Airport, a second runway at Gatwick, or the so-called 'Heathrow Hub' option, under
  
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• UK commercial property robust in wake of Brexit vote - Moody's

  26-09-2016 15:27
  Britain's commercial property market remains robust in the wake of a vote to leave the European Union, although a weaker economic outlook may see some prices dip over the next two years, ratings agency Moody's said. "While political risk will keep market uncertainty high, commercial property sector fundamentals will remain robust in Europe.
  
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• Eyeing election, Labour pledge investment and new business rules

  26-09-2016 14:55
  By William James LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - The Labour Party promised on Monday to take on big business and borrow to protect struggling industries, setting out a left-wing economic agenda it hopes will re-engage with working class voters who backed leaving the European Union. Predicting a snap election next year, Labour is using its annual conference to outline plans to win back the voters that abandoned the party at a 2015 election and spurned the political establishment by backing Brexit.
  
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• John McDonnell vows 'no more Philip Greens' under Labour clampdown

  26-09-2016 14:46
  
  Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said there would be "no more Philip Greens" under a Labour crackdown on "abuses of power". In his speech to the party's annual conference in Liverpool, Mr McDonnell told delegates a Labour government would overhaul company law to avoid a repeat of the BHS collapse, which left a mammoth hole in the pension fund and saw 11,000 job losses. The frontbencher also pledged to end the "scourge of tax avoidance" with the creation of a bee
  
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• UK appears headed for 'hard Brexit', Scots minister says after talks

  26-09-2016 14:23
  PARIS (Reuters) - Britain appears to be heading for a 'hard Brexit' under which its relationship with the European Union is reduced to little more than trade agreements, Scotland's external affairs minister Fiona Hyslop said on Monday. Scotland recently appointed its own representative, Michael Russell, to take part in talks with Brexit minister David Davis to establish a UK position under which talks with the EU might take place. "They've met within the last 10 days. ...
  
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• Mortgage approvals slump as consumer credit soars

  26-09-2016 14:07
  The number of people taking out a mortgage fell to its lowest level in August since January 2015, but consumer credit has soared, according to a report by high street banks. Figures from the British Bankers Association (BBA) showed a total of 36,997 homeowners had their mortgages approved last month, the lowest figure this year, and a drop of 21% on August 2015. "Mortgage borrowing is growing at a slower pace than it has for the last few months, reflecting both the slowdown in housing market gro
  
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• 'Zombies' shock for police responding to alleged assault

  26-09-2016 14:02
  
  Fake blood and zombie costumes gave police officers a surprise.
  
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• Scientists find new fat clues in faeces

  26-09-2016 13:32
  By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists in Britain have found a new link between the diversity of bacteria in human poo - the human faecal microbiome - and levels of harmful types of body fat. In research that may help explain why excessive weight problems and obesity tend to run in families, the scientists said high levels of visceral fat - which is linked to risks of chronic disease - were linked to having a relatively small range of bacteria in faeces. People with a high diversity of ba
  
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• Police called to M62 'assault' find extras dressed as zombies

  26-09-2016 13:15
  Police cars were scrambled to a potentially serious assault only to discover two people dressed as zombies.
  
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• British police, with new clues, seek missing toddler on Greek island

  26-09-2016 13:00
  By Vassilis Triandafyllou KOS, Greece (Reuters) - British police started excavations on a Greek island on Monday, saying they were armed with new leads into the disappearance of a British toddler there 25 years ago. South Yorkshire Police, who are leading the investigation, said they would focus their attention on two sites on the island of Kos, close to where the child, Ben Needham, was last seen near his family's holiday home on July 24 1991. Detective Inspector Jon Cousins, the lead investiga
  
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• Sacked Corrie star Marc Anwar apologises for 'unacceptable' tweets

  26-09-2016 12:54
  
  A Coronation Street star sacked from the soap for "racially offensive" tweets has apologised for using "unacceptable" language about Indian people. Marc Anwar, who plays Sharif Nazir in the show, was dismissed by ITV after the Sunday Mirror published screenshots from his account where he allegedly referred to Indian people as "b*******" and "p***-drinking c****". In a video apology, the Pakistan-born actor said he had not intended to cause offence in his tweets about the disputed Kashm
  
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• UK mortgage approvals hit 19-month low, more weakness seen

  26-09-2016 12:10
  Britain's housing market showed signs of slowing in August with the number of mortgages approved by banks falling to its lowest level since January 2015 and analysts said they expected further weakness ahead as Brexit uncertainty dampens demand next year. British banks approved 36,997 mortgages for house purchases last month, down from 37,672 in July and 21 percent lower than in August 2015, the British Bankers' Association said on Monday. The figures extended a slowdown which began at the start
  
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• Labour says will ban fracking if elected

  26-09-2016 12:03
  The Labour Party pledged on Monday to ban fracking if elected in 2020, putting it at odds with the Conservative government and raising the risk for investors looking to put money into the nascent industry. "Fracking locks the UK into an energy infrastructure that is based on fossil fuels long after our country needs to have moved to renewables," said Barry Gardiner, Labour's energy and climate change spokesman.
  
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• You'll never guess what has officially been made a crime Down Under

  26-09-2016 11:55
  
  The, ahem, cheeky prank was already an offence in the state of Victoria, but it’s now punishable under a specific law.
  
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• Labour to announce it will ban fracking if it wins election

  26-09-2016 11:27
  
  Labour is to announce it will ban fracking if it wins the next general election. Shadow energy and climate change secretary Barry Gardiner will tell the party's annual conference in Liverpool that a Labour government would introduce an "outright ban" on the controversial practice. "The next Labour government will back the clean technologies of the future.
  
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• John McDonnell says he 'picked brains' of Ed Miliband's team

  26-09-2016 11:10
  
  Labour will deliver a post-Brexit "manufacturing renaissance" by borrowing billions for a national investment bank, John McDonnell has said. The shadow chancellor told Sky News he wanted to create an "entrepreneurial state" by investing in infrastructure with a £100bn pot of cash in the newly created bank. Mr McDonnell admitted he had been "picking the brains" of Ed Miliband, and other Labour figures who had been in government, to help formulate his economic plan, after similarities w
  
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• Ben Needham: Police begin excavation of new search area in Kos

  26-09-2016 11:07
  
  Police have begun detailed excavation work in the hope of finally solving the 25-year-old mystery surrounding the disappearance of Ben Needham. A team from South Yorkshire Police, supported by colleagues from Greece, are digging on farmland on the Greek island of Kos near where Ben was last seen on 24 July, 1991. Detective Inspector Jon Cousins said his officers would work with an archaeological team from the island to focus efforts on a particular patch of land.
  
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• Aunt of dead Syrian boy Alan Kurdi: William and Kate must help refugees

  26-09-2016 10:59
  
  The aunt of Alan Kurdi, the two-year-old Syrian boy whose body was found washed up on a beach last year, has told Sky News the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge should use "their power to deliver messages" to encourage the UK to take in more refugees. Tima Kurdi spoke to Sky News at her home near Vancouver in Canada, as William and Kate met a family of Syrian refugees in the city, on the second day of their tour of the Commonwealth realm.
  
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• UK banks approve fewest mortgages since January 2015 in August - BBA

  26-09-2016 10:57
  The number of mortgages approved by British banks in August fell to its lowest level since January 2015, the British Bankers' Association said on Monday. The figures extended a slowdown which began shortly after the start of this year ahead of the introduction of a new tax on homes bought by landlords in April and Britain's referendum on its membership of the European Union in June. British banks approved 36,997 mortgages for house purchases last month, down from 37,672 in July and 21 percent lo
  
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• How Jeremy Corbyn could become prime minister

  26-09-2016 10:55
  There is pretty much of a consensus among Labour MPs, party activists who date from before 2015 and commentators that this week's Labour Party Conference is a sideshow. Tellingly, even the most enthusiastic Corbyn supporters talk more about changing Labour Party democracy by mobilising a mass movement than about getting a majority of MPs at a general election. The opinion polls are dire for wannabe prime minister Corbyn.
  
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• Labour plans borrowing to revive industry, win back supporters

  26-09-2016 10:34
  By William James LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party promised on Monday to use borrowed money to protect struggling industries and spur growth, setting out an economic policy it hopes will re-engage with working class voters who backed leaving the European Union. Predicting a snap election next year, Labour is using its annual conference to outline its plans to win back the voters that abandoned the party at a 2015 election and spurned the political establishment by
  
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• Aldi to invest £300m in UK stores following record sales

  26-09-2016 09:54
  The British arm of Aldi has said it will invest £300m in its stores after posting a 12% increase in sales to a record £7.7bn in 2015. The figures represent record results for the company, which plans to open 70 new stores in 2017 as part of its plan to reach 1,000 by 2022. It currently operates 785 stores in the UK and Ireland.
  
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• Majority of UK CEOs considering moving operations abroad post-Brexit - survey

  26-09-2016 09:17
  Three-quarters of British company bosses are considering moving operations abroad following the vote to leave the European Union, according to a survey published on Monday. The KPMG survey of 100 UK chief executives, from companies with revenues between 100 million pounds and 1 billion pounds ($130 million-$1.30 billion), found 86 percent were confident about their company's growth prospects and 69 percent were confident about the British economy's growth prospects over the next three years. "CE
  
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• Tributes are pouring in for golfing legend Arnold Palmer

  26-09-2016 09:12
  
  Known as “the King”, he has died aged 87.
  
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• Parliament must be fully informed on Brexit strategy - Corbyn

  26-09-2016 08:57
  Britain's parliament must be kept fully informed about the government's strategy for leaving the European Union, Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said on Sunday. Prime Minister Theresa May has said parliament would play a role in Britain's exit from the EU but that she will be leading the negotiations and will make the final decision on what deal the country gets. Asked by the BBC's Andrew Marr whether that was democratic, Corbyn said: "I don't think it's democratic and
  
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• Everything you need to know about the first US presidential debate

  26-09-2016 08:32
  
  Foreign policy is likely to be high on the agenda.
  
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• Monarch Airlines denies being in financial trouble

  26-09-2016 08:31
  Monarch Airlines has denied "negative speculation" that the company is in financial trouble and said it is "trading well". The budget airline, which employs around 2,800 people, issued a statement after customers tweeted over the weekend to ask if the airline was "going bust" amid speculation. Monarch, which is headquartered at Luton Airport, added that it will announce a "significant investment" from its stakeholders in the coming days, as part of its plan to fund ongoing gr
  
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• Ben Needham's mother tells of 'tears' as dig begins

  26-09-2016 06:32
  
  The mother of missing toddler Ben Needham has told of her fears as police get ready for excavation work in the case's latest development. Officers have told Kerry Needham to "prepare for the worst" as the excavation starts on Monday on the Greek island of Kos, where it is claimed he was crushed by a digger 25 years ago. The South Yorkshire Police team said they will start digging today at a specific site near a farmhouse where Ben was last seen.
  
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• Jewish MPs angry at claims that anti-Semitism is exaggerated

  26-09-2016 06:10
  Jewish MPs are outraged by the latest claims of Momentum activists that allegations of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party are exaggerated. Momentum members at a meeting to discuss anti-Semitism said the stories of abuse have been "whipped up" and "weaponised" to undermine Jeremy Corbyn. Jackie Walker, vice chair of Momentum, said the issue had "become a weapon of political mass destruction" and there was "little if any" evidence that anti-Semitism was a major problem within the Labo
  
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• May's team hits back at Cameron's 'lily-livered' claim

  26-09-2016 05:27
  
  Theresa May's supporters have responded to claims that she was described as "lily-livered" by then Prime Minister David Cameron. Earlier this year, Mr Cameron had wanted an "emergency brake" to convince voters that he could reduce immigration from Europe if Britain stayed in the EU. The book quotes Mr Cameron as saying: "Theresa said very, very little and simply said that we just couldn't go against (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel".
  
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• Canada tour: William and Kate praised as 'strong advocates'

  26-09-2016 04:50
  
  Canada's prime minister has praised the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as "strong advocates" for young people on day two of their official visit. Justin Trudeau said Prince William and Kate understood "how important young people are to our shared success". The pair touched down in Vancouver on Sunday where they are due to meet Syrian refugees who have only recently resettled in Canada.
  
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• Ben Needham: Police to begin new dig on Kos

  26-09-2016 02:05
  Police are to begin excavation work on the Greek island of Kos where it is claimed missing British toddler Ben Needham may have been crushed to death by a digger 25 years ago. The South Yorkshire Police team said they will start digging today at a specific site near a farmhouse where Ben was last seen. Last week, Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick, who is leading the investigation, said: "There will be planned operational activity at two locations on the isl
  
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• Optimism in Britain's finance industry hits financial crisis low

  26-09-2016 01:20
  By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - Optimism about the outlook for Britain's financial services sector is at its lowest point since the financial crisis, a survey of finance firms showed on Monday. The latest survey of 115 financial services firms by business lobby CBI and consultancy PwC found that optimism fell during the three months to September, the third quarter in a row that it has dropped, marking the longest decline since the depths of the financial crisis in 2009. Over half of all financia
  
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• Change or die, moderates warn Labour Party

  26-09-2016 00:03
  
  Jeremy Corbyn is looking to re-unite the Labour Party following his re-election as leader.
  
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• Next Labour government 'will be interventionist' - John McDonnell

  26-09-2016 00:00
  Labour would intervene in British industry to protect key sectors of the economy like steel, shadow chancellor John McDonnell will declare. In his big set-piece speech to Labour's conference in Liverpool, Mr McDonnell will pledge a post-Brexit "manufacturing renaissance". Mr McDonnell will tell the conference that the rules of globalisation "are being rewritten for us", with governments around the world moving away from reliance on free markets in favour of intervention.
  
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