General news

• Nazi-obsessed loner gets life for murder of Jo Cox

  23-11-2016 23:40
  By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - A loner obsessed with Nazis and extreme right-wing ideology was sentenced on Wednesday to spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering lawmaker Jo Cox in a frenzied street attack that stunned Britain a week before the European Union referendum. Armed with a sawn-off rifle and a dagger, Thomas Mair, 53, shot Cox three times and repeatedly stabbed the 41-year-old mother of two young children in her northern English electoral district as she arrived for a
  
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• Does having a pyramid of Ferrero Rocher make you an ambassador? Nigel Farage seems to think so

  23-11-2016 23:39
  
  A hint that Farage is angling for the role of ambassador to the US?
  
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• UKIP's Nigel Farage hails 'year of big political revolution' at party

  23-11-2016 23:21
  Nigel Farage has told guests at a party toasting his success in 2016 that it has been the year of the "big political revolution" - and that there's plenty more to come. The interim UKIP leader marked his 20 years in politics at an event held at the Ritz on Wednesday. In a speech to guests, he described June 23 - the day Britain voted to leave the European Union - as "the most amazing evening", and said he celebrated at the London hotel with champagne and kippers the following morning.
  
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• Premature baby left to die alone in sluice room, report reveals

  23-11-2016 22:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Hospital staff left a premature baby in a basket in a sluice room to die alone, a report reveals.
  
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• British housebuilders turn positive on UK infrastructure plan

  23-11-2016 22:53
  Shares in British housebuilders briefly turned positive in choppy trade on Wednesday after the British Chancellor outlined plans to support further construction through infrastructure funds and packages to help homebuyers. Philip Hammond said that he was setting up a 2.3 billion pound ($2.9 billion) housing fund to deliver infrastructure for up to 100,000 new homes in areas of high demand, with a further 1.4 billion pounds to help construct 40,000 affordable homes.
  
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• These pictures of Prince Harry helping baby turtles get to the sea will make your heart explode

  23-11-2016 22:46
  
  Cuteness overload.
  
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• Obama pardons turkey for last time as president – video

  23-11-2016 22:28 via theguardian.com
  
  As President Barack Obama held his final turkey pardon event at the White House he vowed to continue the tradition in his private life saying, ‘No way I am cutting this habit cold turkey.’ Obama poked fun at his daughters Sasha and Malia who he said were not able to attend the annual event because they ‘had a scheduling conflict’. Obama was instead joined by his nephews Austin and Aaron Robinson, when he pardoned ‘Tater’ and ‘Tot’ Continue reading.
  
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• Storm Angus: Body found in search for pensioner after flood

  23-11-2016 21:30
  Police searching for a pensioner who went missing in South Wales at the height of Storm Angus have found a body. Russell Sherwood, 69, went missing after leaving his home in Neath, South Wales, on Monday morning. Emergency services spent two days searching for Mr Sherwood in difficult conditions and on Tuesday evening they found a car in the River Ogmore which they believed was his.
  
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• Authorities 'failing' to fight hate propaganda that led to Cox murder

  23-11-2016 21:28
  Thomas Mair may have acted alone when he killed Jo Cox, but he was inspired by others. From the dozens of Nazi-themed books in his home, to his searches online, Mair would have soaked up messages of hate and the doctrine of white supremacy. "And while the authorities will always prioritise targeting those individuals who could carry out terrorist attacks, it is also vital that they target the people who peddle the hatred that inspired the likes of Thomas Mair.
  
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• Donald Trump has released a Christmas ornament for all of your festive needs

  23-11-2016 21:18
  
  The decoration may set you back a bit.
  
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• Police officers investigated over failings in Stephen Port case

  23-11-2016 21:11
  
  Seventeen police officers are under investigation after failing to link the killings of three young gay men whose drugged bodies were found within 400 yards of each other.
  
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• Former Manchester City player David White says he was abused by Barry Bennell

  23-11-2016 21:00
  
  Multiple footballers have recently spoken of alleged abuse from their time as footballers.
  
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• Any help?

  23-11-2016 20:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Three families who are "just about managing" react to the Chancellor's Autumn Statement announcement.
  
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• Autumn Statement 2016: The charts that show the cost of Brexit

  23-11-2016 20:22
  The best place to start is with this chart, showing you just how much Government borrowing is due to increase in the coming years (£122bn in total, compared with the March Budget), and where all that extra borrowing comes from. As you can see, a fair chunk of it is down to the usual stuff: extra spending commitments from the Government (the green bit), forecast changes (red) and reclassifications of where the debt sits in the national accounts (yellow). In other words, the big story from t
  
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• Grindr serial killer Stephen Port found guilty of four murders

  23-11-2016 20:12
  
  A man has been convicted of murdering four young men whom he poisoned so that he could have sex with them while they were unconscious. 
  
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• Bracing for Brexit, UK ramps up borrowing and cuts growth forecasts

  23-11-2016 19:43
  By William Schomberg and David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has ramped up its borrowing outlook by much more than expected after forecasters said its vote to leave the European Union would hurt the economy, giving the government only a little room to ease looming pressure on households and firms. Chancellor Philip Hammond said June's referendum result made it "more urgent than ever" to invest in tackling Britain's long-term weaknesses, such as productivity growth that is among the slowest
  
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• Nazi-obsessed loner gets life for murder of British lawmaker Jo Cox

  23-11-2016 19:36
  By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - A loner obsessed with Nazis and extreme right-wing ideology was sentenced on Wednesday to spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering lawmaker Jo Cox in a frenzied street attack that stunned Britain a week before the European Union referendum. Armed with a sawn-off rifle and a dagger, Thomas Mair, 53, shot Cox three times and repeatedly stabbed the 41-year-old mother of two young children in her northern English electoral district as she arrived for a
  
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• Private providers are part of the NHS’s problem, not the solution | Letters

  23-11-2016 19:30 via theguardian.com
  
  I’m afraid Stephen Dalton is wrong about pretty much everything (Private money is the NHS’s saviour, not its bogeyman, 22 November). Where sustainability and transformation plans have been published (most have been shrouded in secrecy, and for good reason) it is clear that cuts and closures are on the way. For instance, 600 GPs are to be reduced to 400 in one part of London alone, and maternity units and A&E departments face the axe. We have the second lowest number of hospital b
  
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• Internet age checks are an overreaction | Letters

  23-11-2016 19:30 via theguardian.com
  
  John Carr asks why the Open Rights Group is worried about requirements for people to verify their age with pornographic websites (Letters, 22 November). Open Rights Group supports the many organisations calling for compulsory sex education that discusses pornography and relationships. We also welcome efforts by British internet service providers to help parents mediate their children’s internet access and keep them safe online.However, the government’s proposals, outlined in the digi
  
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• Who were the four victims of serial killer Stephen Port?

  23-11-2016 19:09
  
  The details of how Port elaborately covered up their murders are truly chilling.
  
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• Post-Brexit immigration fall to push up UK public borrowing - official forecast

  23-11-2016 19:05
  By Kylie MacLellan LONDON (Reuters) - The British government will have to borrow an extra 16 billion pounds ($20 billion) over the next five years to make up for the impact of lower immigration following the Brexit vote, Britain's independent budget forecasters said on Wednesday. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) also said it did not expect the government to meet its target of reducing annual net migration to below 100,000, even with tighter immigration rules following its exit from the
  
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• Austerity, Brexit and 'Jams': readers react to the autumn statement

  23-11-2016 19:01 via theguardian.com
  
  From the ‘national living wage’ to Brexit’s likely economic impact, our readers react to the autumn statement’s main themesPhilip Hammond’s autumn statement has given us a look into government’s post-Brexit plans for the economy. Related: How will the autumn statement change Britain? Our panel’s views | Matthew d’Ancona, Martin Kettle, Gaby Hinsliff, Aditya Chakrabortty and Polly ToynbeeContinue reading...
  
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• Eight-year-old Wolverhampton boy delivers newborn sister

  23-11-2016 18:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An eight-year-old boy delivered his sister when his mother went into labour at their home in Wolverhampton.
  
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• MP's husband: Jo's death will build 'unassailable wall of tolerance'

  23-11-2016 18:38
  The death of MP Jo Cox will mean those who seek to divide people in Britain will "face an unassailable wall of ... tolerance", her husband has said. Brendan Cox promised to respond to hatred with love, "like Jo did", as he spoke on the steps of the Old Bailey following the life sentence handed down to neo-Nazi Thomas Mair for her murder.
  
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• Brexit means £58bn extra borrowing, Chancellor admits in Autumn Statement

  23-11-2016 18:25
  
  Britain will have to borrow £58.7bn more than planned because of the Brexit vote, Chancellor Philip Hammond has admitted.
  
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• Gay and bisexual men who use apps to meet strangers warned over safety

  23-11-2016 18:24
  
  The warning comes after the conviction of serial killer Stephen Port, who met his victims using apps and social media.
  
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• Brexit protesters tell British PM May - 'Get on with EU divorce'

  23-11-2016 18:20
  Around 200 supporters of leaving the European Union gathered outside the British parliament on Wednesday to demand Prime Minister Theresa May deliver Brexit. Get on with it," Nigel Birrell, a supporter of Brexit, told Reuters.
  
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• The man who punched a baby in Tesco's 'thinking it was a doll' has been convicted

  23-11-2016 18:06
  
  The judge said his claims were ‘implausible’.
  
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• Here is husband Brendan's moving tribute to Jo Cox in full

  23-11-2016 17:28
  
  She was “committed to making the world a better place”.
  
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• Dark world

  23-11-2016 17:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Stephen Port has been found guilty of murdering four young gay men and committing a number of drug rapes.
  
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• Stephen Port: From serial rapist to serial killer

  23-11-2016 17:23 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The BBC's Daniel Sandford reports on the crimes of serial killer Stephen Port, who has been found guilty of murdering four young men.
  
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• Bracing for Brexit, UK to ramp up borrowing, cuts growth forecasts

  23-11-2016 17:11
  By William Schomberg and David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) - Britain ramped up its borrowing forecasts by much more than expected and said the vote to leave the European Union would weigh heavily on the economy, giving the government little room to ease the Brexit pressure on households and companies. Finance minister Philip Hammond said on Wednesday that Brexit made it "more urgent than ever" to invest in tackling Britain's long-term weaknesses, including one of the worst productivity growth rate
  
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• In Between Days: Robert Smith and the Cure – in pictures

  23-11-2016 17:07 via theguardian.com
  
  Since the 1980s, Melody Maker’s Tom Sheehan has captured the Cure’s ascent from the underbelly of British alternative rock to global stadium headliners. Now Sheehan – who was even enlisted as frontman Robert Smith’s official wedding photographer – has compiled a record of his journey with the band in a new book, In Between Days Continue reading...
  
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• Grindr serial killer Stephen Port found guilty of fourth murder

  23-11-2016 17:06
  Chef Stephen Port has been found guilty of the murder of a fourth man. "He's a voracious sexual predator who appears to have been fixated, nay obsessed, with surreptitiously drugging young, often vulnerable men for the exclusive purpose of rape.
  
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• Tucking in at the theatre?

  23-11-2016 17:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Actress Imelda Staunton wants a ban on food and drink in the theatre to stop audiences eating in their seats. But is she right?
  
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• Autumn Statement: Six key points

  23-11-2016 17:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Six key points from Chancellor Philip Hammond's Autumn Statement.
  
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• Identity fraud gang tried to sell man's home

  23-11-2016 16:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A criminal gang has been jailed after they stole a man's identity and then tried to sell his house in Stockport.
  
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• Austin Reed to return to high streets next year - new owner

  23-11-2016 16:56
  Austin Reed is to make a return to the UK's high streets in a year's time, under plans to rebuild the business following its collapse in the summer. The menswear retailer's owner, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, bought the brand from administrators but not its struggling store estate which was later wound down with the loss of 1,000 jobs. It has since relaunched 116-year-old clothing chain online and said a £100m revival plan would result in the launch of 50 Austin Reed stores across the UK -
  
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• What is it like to rent in Britain today? Share your story

  23-11-2016 16:50 via theguardian.com
  
  The chancellor will ban letting agents from imposing “rip-off” fees that cost renters millions each year. What else needs to be done to improve renting?
  In his first autumn statement the chancellor, Philip Hammond, announced that the government will impose a ban to stop letting agents charging “rip-off” fees that cost renters up to £380 million a year. These fees often cover basic administration, references and credit checks. Tenants have reported being charged for
  
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• UK flags fresh infrastructure spending to help boost output

  23-11-2016 16:25
  By Simon Jessop, Carolyn Cohn and David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's finance minister freed up an extra 23 billion pounds on Wednesday to invest in rail, telecoms and housing infrastructure over the next five years to help boost the country's output. The National Productivity Investment Fund will be spent on infrastructure and research and development including on science and technology, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said in his first Autumn Statement address to parliament.
  
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• Hammond sets target for cyclically-adjusted budget deficit

  23-11-2016 16:25
  Chancellor Philip Hammond said on Wednesday the government would aim to cut the country's budget deficit, adjusted for swings in the economy, to below 2 percent of gross domestic product by the end of the current parliament in 2020. Public sector net debt should also be falling as a percentage of economic output by the end of the current parliament while welfare spending must also remain inside a cap set by the government, Hammond said as he set the government's new fiscal rules.
  
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• Key announcements in UK Autumn Statement on budget

  23-11-2016 16:10
  British finance minister Philip Hammond delivered his first detailed statement to parliament on budget policy since taking office in July following Britain's vote to leave the European Union. For the main story on the Autumn Statement, please click on Here are some of the main announcements: GROWTH FORECASTS CUT Hammond announced the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had cut its official forecasts for economic growth for the next two years. The OBR said gross domestic product wo
  
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• Growth forecast for 2017 slashed, with 2019/20 surplus ruled out

  23-11-2016 16:07
  
  Philip Hammond has said next year's growth will be below expectations, admitting the Government can no longer deliver a surplus in 2019/20. The Chancellor said that GDP growth in 2017, the year the UK is expected to begin the process of leaving the European Union, is now expected to be just 1.4%.
  
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• 'Keep calm and accept our vote': pro-Brexit protest staged outside parliament

  23-11-2016 16:02
  
  ‘Theresa May don’t delay, we want Brexit right away’.
  
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• Jo Cox's sister says she 'will not be beaten by what has happened'

  23-11-2016 16:01
  
  She speaks after killer Thomas Mair was given a whole life sentenced.
  
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• British taxpayers face 27 billion pound loss from bank bailout

  23-11-2016 15:44
  By Andrew MacAskill and Lawrence White LONDON (Reuters) - The British government said on Wednesday it faces an almost 27 billion pound loss from rescuing failed banks during the 2007-2009 financial crisis after a slump in the lenders' value since Britain's vote to leave European Union. The Office for Budget Responsibility, Britain's independent budget watchdog, said it has increased its forecast for potential taxpayer losses by more than 9 billion pounds since March. Britain's government spent m
  
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• Jo Cox sister: 'We will respond with strength and love'

  23-11-2016 15:40 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The sister of the murdered MP Jo Cox says her family intend to move forward "with strength and love" now that her killer has been jailed for life.
  
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• Unusual peak in deaths recorded on 19 July

  23-11-2016 15:36
  The summer heatwave of 2016 is being linked to an "unusual peak in mortality".
  
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• The White House are conducting an online poll to choose which turkey will be pardoned for Thanksgiving - but it's not as bad as it sounds

  23-11-2016 15:33
  
  Gobble gobble.
  
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• Chancellor slashes 2017 growth forecast, ruling out 2019/20 surplus

  23-11-2016 15:24
  
  Philip Hammond has slashed the forecast growth for next year, admitting the Government can no longer deliver a surplus in 2019/20. The Chancellor said that GDP growth in 2017, the year the UK is expected to begin the process of leaving the European Union, is now expected to be just 1.4%. The growth figure is down from the 2.2% previously forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
  
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