General news

• Father died 'trying to save his daughter from deliberate house fire'

  20-10-2016 22:57
  
  A murder inquiry has been launched.
  
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• Police explode suspicious object at London station, launch terrorism inquiry

  20-10-2016 22:50
  British police carried out a controlled explosion on a suspicious item found at a London underground station on Thursday, and said counter-terrorism officers had launched an investigation. Police were called shortly after 1000 GMT after rail staff reported finding the item on a train at North Greenwich underground station, near the Canary Wharf financial district and close to the O2 entertainment centre. A controlled detonation was carried out to make the item safe and officers from London's Cou
  
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• Theresa May 'objects to attempts to sideline UK at EU summit'

  20-10-2016 22:39
  
  The Prime Minister objected to attempts to sideline the UK almost as soon as her debut EU summit began, Sky News understands. Theresa May intervened at the start of the conference on Thursday afternoon to register her difficulty at the European Union trying to decide future policy in the absence of the UK. "Mrs May said that she will not accept rubber-stamping EU decisions if the UK is not invited," EU sources told Sky News, although it is understood she was not suggesting the meetings of the re
  
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• British Cycling chief executive Ian Drake to stand down

  20-10-2016 21:49
  The chief executive of British Cycling Ian Drake is to stand down and will leave the governing body in March next year.
  
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• BIS to hear initial verdict on sterling crash in November

  20-10-2016 19:58
  By Patrick Graham LONDON (Reuters) - Central bank officials looking into the factors behind the dramatic fall sterling took on Oct. 7 will make an initial report to the Bank for International Settlements in early November, sources with knowledge of the investigation said. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney, who also heads the BIS committee, asked the Swiss-based central banks' central bank to investigate. "BIS is still in the information-gathering phase but they have a pretty good idea of what
  
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• Bernie Sanders takes to Twitter to rip Trump a new one

  20-10-2016 19:16
  
  Feel the Bern.
  
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• Everything you need to know about the clearing of the Calais camp

  20-10-2016 18:54
  
  There’s been a lot happening over the last few days, so here’s what you need to know.
  
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• London store kicks off Christmas with glittery Santa window display

  20-10-2016 18:23
  LONDON (Reuters) - London department store Selfridges unveiled its Christmas window display on Thursday as British retailers prepare for the busy festive shopping season. The historic store, whose colourful displays draw tourists as well as shoppers, has this year placed red-glitter-clad models of Santa Claus in its main windows. One shows him on the steps of a plane flanked by two blue poodles, while in another he sits in a train carriage. Selfridges, which opened in 1909, opened its Christmas
  
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• Tate Liverpool's winter season launches with Yves Klein works

  20-10-2016 18:22
  Paintings by Yves Klein go on display at Tate Liverpool gallery this week, the first solo exhibition in Britain of the influential French artist's works in more than 20 years. Around 30 pieces, some of them never before seen in Britain, will be on show until March at the gallery, including works painted in the late artist's signature pure-pigment International Klein Blue.
  
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• PC Gordon Semple 'dissolved in acid bath' on Grindr date

  20-10-2016 18:05
  A sado-masochist obsessed with Breaking Bad strangled a police officer then copied a plot from the hit American drama by dissolving his body in an acid bath, a court heard. PC Gordon Semple, 59, was on duty when he arranged to meet his alleged killer Stefano Brizzi on the gay dating app Grindr for "hot, dirty, sleazy" sex on 1 April this year. A resident alerted police on 7 April and officers found Brizzi at his flat wearing only sunglasses and underpants.
  
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• Southern Rail passengers warn of strikes 'tragedy' amid chaos

  20-10-2016 17:38
  
  Lawyers acting on behalf of the Association of British Commuters have written to the Department for Transport to find out if it carried out any health and safety risk analysis ahead of strikes by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union. Comments from passengers included: "London Bridge has been incredibly scary with lots of last-minute cancellations. A pregnant passenger complained: "I am not only having to take a significant detour, but also exposing myself to overcrowding&n
  
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• UK police launch terrorism investigation after London Tube incident

  20-10-2016 17:17
  British police carried out a controlled explosion on a suspicious item found on a London underground station on Thursday, and said counter-terrorism had launched an investigation into the incident. Police were called shortly after 1000 GMT after rail staff reported finding the item on a train at North Greenwich underground station, near the Canary Wharf financial district and close to the O2 entertainment centre. A controlled detonation was carried out to make the item safe and officers from Lon
  
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• Spiders 'tune' webs to help catch prey and partners

  20-10-2016 17:07
  Spiders can tune webs to help catch prey or even attract a mate, according to researchers at Oxford University. "Spiders use vibrations not only from prey which is caught in their web, where obviously it's important that they know where it is and what it might be," said researcher Beth Mortimer. Ms Mortimer added that spiders also use the information to assess if the web is wearing out and needs repairing.
  
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• We got a body language expert to analyse the final Trump v Clinton debate - and this is what he thought

  20-10-2016 17:06
  
  An expert’s take on what all the gestures and language really mean.
  
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• Hotel room murder: Sammy Almahri admits strangling Nadine Aburas

  20-10-2016 17:01
  A US businessman has admitted strangling a British woman in a Cardiff hotel room after meeting her on a dating site. Sammy Almahri pleaded guilty to murdering Nadine Aburas, 28, at the Future Inn on New Year's Eve 2014, before placing a "do not disturb" sign on the room door, South Wales Police said. In a statement, Ms Aburas' family said: "Justice has been done for Nadine.
  
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• Suspicious item on Tube at North Greenwich investigated by police

  20-10-2016 16:59
  A suspicious item found on a Tube train is being investigated by Met police counter terrorism officers. British Transport Police were called to North Greenwich Underground Station at about 11am this morning and a controlled explosion was carried out shortly afterwards. "While we are keeping an open mind, the Met's Counter Terrorism Command is leading the investigation because it has the expertise to deal with incidents of this kind.
  
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• UK counter terrorism police investigate suspicious item on London train

  20-10-2016 16:55
  British counter-terrorism police launched an investigation on Thursday after a suspicious item was found on a London underground train, saying they were keeping "an open mind" about the incident. Police were called shortly after 1000 GMT after rail staff reported finding the item on a train at North Greenwich underground station, east of the Canary Wharf financial district and close to the O2 entertainment centre. A controlled explosion was carried out to make the item safe and the station remai
  
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• London builders turn to funds as property prices drop

  20-10-2016 16:54
  High-end property developers in London are restricting the supply of homes to prevent further price falls by selling entire apartment blocks to funds for rental, according to agents and investment managers. Some developers are trying new tactics to support prices, which estate agent Savills sees falling 9 percent this year in central London, keeping them off the open market by selling part-built or planned projects to institutions and investment funds hunting for yield. "I think that the opportu
  
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• MPs back stripping Philip Green of knighthood over BHS collapse

  20-10-2016 16:52
  By Kylie MacLellan and Helen Reid LONDON (Reuters) - British lawmakers backed stripping billionaire Philip Green of his knighthood over the collapse of BHS department store, in a symbolic move on Thursday that will raise pressure on the tycoon over his promises to resolve the company's pension problems. Green owned BHS for 15 years before he sold the loss-making 180-outlet chain to Dominic Chappell, a serial bankrupt with no retail experience, for just one pound ($1.22) last year. Following a de
  
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• 'Billionaire spiv' Sir Philip Green beat BHS 'black and blue', say MPs

  20-10-2016 16:49
  
  Disgraced tycoon Sir Philip Green was denounced as a "billionaire spiv", a "Napoleon" and a "Robert Maxwell" by MPs as they approved an amendment to have him stripped of his knighthood. Labour MP Frank Field told the House of Commons Sir Philip was not the "King of the High Street" but a "very successful traditional asset stripper". BHS collapsed in April after Sir Philip sold it to the twice-bankrupt Dominic Chappell.
  
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• Radiohead will be headlining Glastonbury 2017

  20-10-2016 16:45
  Radiohead have confirmed they will headline next year's Glastonbury Festival. The Oxfordshire five-piece are the first headline act announced for the festival and will top the bill on 23 June. It came after the band's "angry bear" logo appeared as a painted crop circle in front of Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage.
  
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• At her first summit since Brexit vote, May vows to work closely with EU

  20-10-2016 16:29
  By Noah Barkin and Elizabeth Piper BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Arriving at her first European Union summit, Prime Minister Theresa May promised that Britain would remain a strong partner to the EU after Brexit and called for unity in pressuring Russia for its "sickening atrocities" in Syria. May, who replaced David Cameron in July after Britons shocked the EU by voting to leave the bloc, was due to spell out her vision for Brexit at a dinner with her 27 counterparts on Thursday evening. "This is my fir
  
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• UK's online estate agents begin to squeeze bricks-and-mortar rivals

  20-10-2016 16:20
  "What does a (traditional) estate agent contribute?" A growing number of people are being attracted by the cut-price fees of online estate agents in Britain. The sector has caught the eye of big-name investors like fund manager Neil Woodford and traditional branch-based agencies which once dismissed online rivals are having to react. "You're (either) watching and wondering what's going to happen or you're going to step in and take action," says Ian Wilson, chief executive of estate agents Martin
  
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• All the most important moments from Theresa May's first 100 days as PM

  20-10-2016 16:07
  
  How’s it all gone for the new Prime Minister?
  
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• Donald Trump mentioned 'bad hombres' so Twitter responded with 'bad ombres'

  20-10-2016 15:55
  
  Talk in the final US presidential debate turned to immigration, and Trump came out with the line: “We have some bad hombres here and we are going to get them out.”
  
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• Watch the moment seven Sale Sharks rugby players got stuck in a lift

  20-10-2016 15:32
  
  “Tell my wife I love her.”
  
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• PM: UK will be a 'strong and dependable partner' after Brexit

  20-10-2016 15:14
  The UK will continue to play a full role while it remains in the EU, and will be a "strong and dependable partner" after Brexit, the Prime Minister said as she arrived for a European Council meeting in Brussels. The PM said, unequivocally, that "the UK is leaving the EU". Mrs May stressed that she wanted to talk to her fellow leaders about the situation in Syria, telling journalists: "We must show a robust and united European stance in the face of Russian aggression.
  
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• Man pleads guilty to Cardiff hotel room murder

  20-10-2016 15:10
  A US businessman has admitted strangling a British woman in a hotel room aftermeeting her on a dating site.
  
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• No Brexit negotiations with May at summit - EU's Tusk

  20-10-2016 14:57
  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders will not engage in discussions or negotiations on Britain's exit from the EU with Prime Minister Theresa May during her first summit meeting on Thursday, summit chair Donald Tusk said on arrival. He said he expected May to brief the other 27 leaders later but has ruled out negotiations until May formally launches the Brexit process. Tusk rejected suggestions the new premier would face a hostile reception and said talks would remain cordial. ...
  
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• #TrumpBookReport: People are imagining how Donald Trump would review classic books and it's hilarious

  20-10-2016 14:33
  
  Literature and LOLs, what more could you want from a hashtag?
  
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• Giant poppy carved on hillside on Fovant Down

  20-10-2016 14:31
  A giant poppy has been carved into a hillside in Wiltshire - a century after the first emblem was created by soldiers at the site. The Flanders Poppy sits alongside eight other regimental badges and measures 25m (82ft) in diameter, making it visible from miles around. The poppy is the first chalk badge to be carved at the site on Fovant Down near Salisbury since 1970.
  
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• Violent crime up by 24% in England and Wales

  20-10-2016 13:50
  Violent crime in England and Wales has jumped by a quarter, according to new figures. "The latest figures present a complex picture, with the Crime Survey for England and Wales estimating similar levels of violent crime to that seen in recent years, but the number of offences recorded by the police increasing," said John Flatley of the ONS. "At the same time, the crime survey has shown a greater proportion of victims of violent crime reporting to the police.
  
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• Sir Philip Green like 'Napoleon and Maxwell' say MPs

  20-10-2016 13:37
  MPs have compared tycoon Sir Philip Green to Napoleon and Robert Maxwell as they debated stripping him of his knighthood. Labour MP Frank Field compared the billionaire to Napoleon and said he had made no attempt to offer a "modest part of his fortune" to fill the pensions blackhole left by the collapse of BHS. Mr Field, chairman of the work and pensions committee, said there was no evidence that Sir Philip was "King of the High Street" but that "he was and is" a successful asset stripper".
  
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• Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Jean-Bernard finalise divorce

  20-10-2016 13:31
  Cheryl Fernandez-Versini's divorce from French restaurateur Jean-Bernard Versini has been finalised. It is Fernandez-Versini's second divorce. The 33-year-old had previously been married to footballer Ashley Cole for four years before their divorce in 2010.
  
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• UK to pardon thousands of gay men convicted under defunct laws

  20-10-2016 13:21
  By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is to pardon thousands of gay and bisexual men who were convicted of crimes under sexual offence laws which have now been abolished, following on from the 2013 exoneration of celebrated World War Two codebreaker Alan Turing. Lord John Sharkey, who has been pushing the government to issue pardons, said some 65,000 men had been convicted under the now-repealed laws, of which 15,000 were still alive. The government said anyone who had been found guilty o
  
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• World wine output near 'lowest for 20 years' as UK harvest looks good

  20-10-2016 13:18
  Global wine production is predicted to fall 5% this year following poor grape-growing conditions in many countries - with the UK set to benefit. The damage was worst felt in France and South America, the Paris-based body warned. The OIV also estimated output would be hit by 19% in South Africa, 35% in Argentina and would be down by half in Brazil.
  
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• A restaurant manager left the most amazing note on a guest's car to thank him for not drinking and driving

  20-10-2016 12:57
  
  He also left a voucher for some free chicken.
  
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• Former Tesco executives to face fraud trial in Sept 2017

  20-10-2016 12:49
  Three former senior executives of Tesco accused of fraud and false accounting at Britain's biggest retailer were told on Thursday that they will face trial next September. Christopher Bush, 50, who was managing director of Tesco UK,Carl Rogberg, 49, who was UK finance director, and John Scouler,48, who was UK food commercial director, were charged by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) on Sept. 9 with one count of fraud by abuse of position and one count of false accounting.
  
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• The gorilla who escaped from London Zoo used his moment of freedom to neck five litres of undiluted squash

  20-10-2016 12:37
  
  It was blackcurrant, if you’re curious.
  
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• 8 excellent uses for Trump's 'nasty woman' phrase you'll want to adopt immediately

  20-10-2016 12:32
  
  Cheers for that, Donald.
  
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• Former suspect in Stephen Lawrence case among UK's Most Wanted

  20-10-2016 12:01
  A man who was once a suspect in the Stephen Lawrence murder has been named on a new Most Wanted list for alleged drug-dealing offences. Two others - David Norris and Gary Dobson - were convicted and are serving life sentences.
  
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• Sir Philip Green renews war of words ahead of knighthood debate

  20-10-2016 11:41
  
  Sir Philip Green has launched a fresh broadside against a leading critic ahead of a Commons debate on whether the retail tycoon should be stripped of his knighthood. A letter from the businessman's family holding company, Taveta Investments, accuses Labour MP Frank Field of "highly defamatory and false statements" about him in a Channel 4 News interview this week. It is the latest in the war of words between Sir Philip and Mr Field, who co-led a select committee probe into the collapse of BHS ea
  
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• Not in UK interest to restrict movement of talent - Brexit minister

  20-10-2016 11:16
  It will not be in Britain's national interest to restrict the free movement of highly talented people when it leaves the European Union, Brexit minister David Davis said on Thursday. The government has said the June 23 vote to leave the bloc was a message that British people did not want free movement of EU citizens to continue as it has in the past. "Clearly it is not going to be in the national interest to restrict the movement of talent, the free movement of brain power.
  
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• Gorilla at London Zoo downed squash during breakout

  20-10-2016 11:14
  A gorilla who sparked a lockdown at London Zoo when he escaped from his enclosure spent some of his freedom downing five litres of undiluted blackcurrant squash. The 29st primate had been called for his food just after 5pm on 13 October and went through two doors that had been left unlocked before coming face-to-face with the zookeeper. Staff then raised the alarm as the 18-year-old western lowland gorilla explored the zookeeper's area, which was next door to his enclosure.
  
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• Who was actually telling the truth? We've fact checked the final US presidential debate

  20-10-2016 11:04
  
  Who got things right? And who is misinformed?
  
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• UK will ensure stability of financial sector - Brexit minister

  20-10-2016 10:59
  The British government will do whatever is needed to ensure the stability of the financial services sector and markets during the process of negotiating Britain's exit from the European Union, Brexit minister David Davis said on Thursday. Davis told lawmakers the financial sector, often referred to as the City of London, would be of great importance in the Brexit negotiations. "We have to treat as absolutely central to what we do maintaining the stability of both the City, but also the European
  
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• UK retail sales enjoy strongest quarter since late 2014, warm weather hurts clothing - ONS

  20-10-2016 10:38
  British retail sales recorded their strongest quarter of growth since late 2014 in the three months to September, but warm weather and higher prices dented demand for new clothing towards the end of the period. Britain's statistics agency said consumer sentiment had remained firm since June's vote to leave the European Union, and that the sector would make a robust contribution to economic growth during the third quarter. "The underlying trend is one of strength, suggesting consumer confidence h
  
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• Postal workers to strike over jobs, pensions and branch closures

  20-10-2016 10:37
  Thousands of Post Office workers are to stage a one-day strike later this month over jobs, pensions and branch closures.
  
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• Navy to man-mark Channel-bound Russian warships

  20-10-2016 10:28
  The Royal Navy has vowed to "man-mark every step of the way" a Russian aircraft carrier and other warships heading to the English Channel. Destroyer HMS Duncan has been deployed from Portsmouth to monitor the task group including the Admiral Kuznetsov. The group, heading south from the Norwegian Sea towards the North Sea, has already been escorted by the frigate HMS Richmond between Iceland and Norway.
  
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• Focus on Britain's post-Brexit future, May to tell EU leaders

  20-10-2016 10:26
  By Elizabeth Piper BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May will tell European Union leaders on Thursday it is time to start talking about future EU ties with Britain and put paid to suggestions her government might reconsider Brexit. A source in May's office said the prime minister would use a dinner at an EU summit in Brussels, her first since she was appointed premier following Britain's June 23 vote to exit the bloc, to outline her approach to the other 27 leaders. Hoping to
  
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