General news

• How this woman tries to prevent suicides

  29-11-2016 23:50 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Joy Hibbins runs a charity Suicide Crisis, helping people who feel they can no longer cope.
  
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• Watch: Terrifying moment road rage attacker smashes window with spade and reverses truck into lorry

  29-11-2016 23:08
  Police are appealing for information on the driver of the pick-up truck.
  
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• 'Man with axe' dies after police shooting in Hull

  29-11-2016 22:37
  The 31-year-old's death was confirmed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which had already launched an investigation into the incident near the city centre. Armed officers were deployed to Holderness Road just after 9am on Tuesday "following reports of concerns for the safety of the public in relation to a man" near a post office.
  
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• 'Snoopers' Charter': Everything you need to know

  29-11-2016 22:08
  
  The move aims to catch increasingly tech-savvy terrorists in the digital age.
  
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• Brexit tariffs would cost car industry 4.5 billion pounds a year - SMMT

  29-11-2016 22:03
  Brexit-related tariffs would add at least 4.5 billion pounds ($5.6 billion) a year to the cost of car imports and exports between Britain and the European Union, an industry body said, urging Britain to remain in the single market after it leaves the EU. Britain exported just under 80 percent of the 1.6 million cars it built last year and imported over 85 percent of the 2.6 million cars sold in the country. Without single market access, cars could face World Trade Organisation tariffs of 10 perc
  
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• Chelsea opens review amid FA investigation into sexual abuse claims

  29-11-2016 21:24
  Chelsea FC has asked an external law firm to conduct an investigation concerning an individual employed by the club in the 1970s. In a statement, the football club said the person who will be at the centre of that review is dead. Chelsea says it will be providing "all possible assistance" to the Football Association, which has begun an independent review into historical allegations of child sexual abuse in the sport.
  
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• 'Bored stiff' Devon pensioner, 89, seeks job

  29-11-2016 21:19 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Eighty-nine-year-old Joe Bartley was so bored being retired he put an ad in his local paper asking for work.
  
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• Could it be Brexit? Irish Passport Office reveals record 700,000 passports were issued in 2016

  29-11-2016 21:09
  
  That’s a 5% rise from the previous year.
  
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• Co-operative Energy chosen to supply GB Energy's customers

  29-11-2016 20:49
  (Reuters) - Co-operative Energy has been chosen to supply customers of bankrupt GB Energy, British energy regulator Ofgem said. Ofgem said the company will honour all outstanding credit balances for present and past customers. Britain's Big Six energy suppliers, EDF Energy , Innogy's Npower , E.ON , Scottish Power , SSE and Centrica's British Gas , had earlier bid in an Ofgem tender to supply the 160,000 customers after GB Energy went bankrupt last week, sources told Reuters.
  
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• European Court of Justice has 'ultimate authority' on Article 50

  29-11-2016 20:39
  
  The most senior British member of the European Court of Justice has told Sky News that the ECJ has "ultimate authority" over Article 50, the formal process to divorce the EU. Advocate general Eleanor Sharpston QC said Luxembourg would not interfere with the Government's Supreme Court appeal against a ruling that the Brexit process cannot begin without a parliamentary vote. One of the Northern Irish applicants to the Supreme Court appeal has referenced the idea of a "preliminary reference" to the
  
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• 'Road rage' motorist smashes lorry window with a spade

  29-11-2016 19:44
  A driver left two men "terrified" after he reversed his pick-up truck into a lorry and smashed a window with a spade. After trying to get into the cabin of the lorry with the driver and passenger locked inside, the man gets a spade from his truck and smashes the driver's window.
  
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• Ban on rupee bank notes worries British Indians

  29-11-2016 19:43
  British Indians are calling for an extension to a deadline which could see some of their cash become worthless by the end of December, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's shock decision earlier this month to abolish 500 ($7) and 1,000 ($14) rupee banknotes. The looming Dec. 30 deadline has rattled many British Indians, who make up 2.5 percent of the population of England and Wales according to a 2011 government census, because the notes can only be exchanged in India. "I have been getting
  
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• EU rebuffs call to start Brexit talks on expat rights

  29-11-2016 19:36
  By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU rebuffed a call from pro-Brexit British MPs for a quick deal on mutual residence rights for British and EU expatriates, telling them on Tuesday it was up to their government to launch full-blown divorce talks. In a tart reply to a letter from dozens of lawmakers, mostly from Prime Minister Theresa's May's Conservatives, who said that ordinary people were being used as "bargaining chips", European Council President Donald Tusk said he shared their
  
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• Former football coach Barry Bennell charged with sexual assault

  29-11-2016 19:27
  
  Former football coach Barry Bennell has been charged with eight offences of sexual assault against a boy under the age of 14. Bennell has also been charged with two counts of inciting a boy under 14 years of age to commit an act of gross indecency, and one count of assault with intent to commit buggery. Bennell is due to appear at South Cheshire Magistrates' Court on 14 December.
  
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• Ex-football coach Barry Bennell charged with eight child sex offences

  29-11-2016 19:24
  
  Bennell is due to appear at South Cheshire Magistrates’ Court on December 14.
  
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• Sky reveals details about new mobile network

  29-11-2016 19:15
  Sky, the owner of Sky News, has announced details about its new mobile phone network. Sky Mobile will focus on mobile data, with customers able to roll over unused data at the end of the month and to change their allowance whenever they like. According to Enders Analysis, EE is the biggest operator, with a 31% market share, followed by O2 (29%), Vodafone (25%), Three (12%) and Virgin (3%).
  
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• Former British soccer coach charged with sexual assaults on boy

  29-11-2016 19:12
  A British former soccer coach was charged on Tuesday with eight historical offences of sexual assault against a boy under the age of 14. The charges against Barry Bennell, 62, who was a talent spotter at Crewe Alexandra and a coach at Manchester City, relate to "non-recent" child sexual abuse, the state prosecution service said without giving details. The charges include indecent assault, inciting a boy to commit an act of gross indecency and assault with intent to commit buggery.
  
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• Don't use expats as Brexit 'bargaining chips', says EU chief Donald Tusk

  29-11-2016 19:06
  
  Donald Tusk has responded icily to pressure from UK MPs on Brussels to begin talks about the status of EU citizens post-referendum, blaming Brexit and the British Government dragging its feet over Article 50. In a reply to a letter from 80 MPs, the President of the European Council suggested the parliamentarians were being hypocritical given the insistence of the Government to reject freedom of movement. Of the argument that the European Commission was creating uncertainty, Mr Tusk wrote: "It is
  
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• Chapecoense's cup final opponents concede cup in a touching gesture after plane crash tragedy

  29-11-2016 18:43
  
  Atletico Nacional said Chapecoense will be champions “for our part, and forever”.
  
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• Eddie Izzard spent £36,000 campaigning for Remain

  29-11-2016 18:39
  
  The comedian went on a month-long tour campaigning for Britain to remain in the EU.
  
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• UK asks sporting bodies to do more to protect children from abuse

  29-11-2016 18:30
  The British government said on Tuesday it was asking all national sporting governing bodies to increase their efforts to protect children, following allegations of young boys being sexually abused at professional soccer clubs. English soccer's governing body said on Sunday it had appointed an independent lawyer to oversee an internal investigation after former soccer players told British media they were sexually abused as children at English clubs. The government set out its response to the alle
  
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• Paperboy 'delivered weed on his rounds'

  29-11-2016 17:56
  
  The alleged drug dealer is awaiting a court date.
  
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• Former Premier League footballer makes abuse claims against Bennell

  29-11-2016 17:56
  Former Premier League and Northern Ireland player Mark Williams has released a statement claiming he was abused by Barry Bennell. The footballer said he "cannot just sit back and watch my former team-mates suffer alone" following a series of allegations made against Bennell, a former football coach who is a convicted paedophile. Williams alleges he suffered abuse as a teenager when he was training at Crewe Alexandra FC and Manchester City.
  
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• Man injured in armed police shooting 'running around with axe'

  29-11-2016 17:29
  
  It happened near Hull city centre.
  
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• Next stop: New novel from Girl On The Train author Paula Hawkins

  29-11-2016 17:14
  Paula Hawkins, the British author of hit book The Girl On The Train, has announced the release of a new crime novel. Into the Water is a tale of suspense about family secrets and "the slipperiness of truth", according to its publisher Riverhead Books. "This story has been brewing for a good while," Hawkins said.
  
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• Angela Merkel rejects Theresa May's advances on EU citizen 'hostages'

  29-11-2016 17:13
  The German Chancellor has rejected an approach by Theresa May's team to try to settle early the thorny issue of the post-Brexit status of EU citizens in the UK and British citizens across the EU. Angela Merkel would not discuss the issue or indeed any other element of the Brexit deal at a recent meeting in Berlin under the EU's mantra of "no notification, no negotiation". The informal approach might have taken the issue of EU citizens' status off the table as early as the December EU summit, pro
  
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• 'The use of space makes no sense': readers review the Design Museum

  29-11-2016 17:01 via theguardian.com
  
  We asked you to review the museum’s new home and its collection during its opening weekend. Here’s what some of you said
  Surrounded by three blocks of luxury flats built to fund construction, the Design Museum opened its doors to its new home in Kensington after an £83m renovation.The now converted former Commonwealth Institute, will display the museum’s permanent collection for free for the first time in its history. Continue reading...
  
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• Wrap up warm! Tonight could be the coldest night of the year

  29-11-2016 16:36
  Authorities are preparing for what could turn out to be the coldest night of the year in England and Wales. Local councils say they will deposit thousands of tons of salt on roads as the mercury plunges. On Monday night, the coldest place in the UK was South Newington in Oxfordshire which got down to -7.5C (18.5F), while Bala, Gwynedd, northwest Wales, reached -6.2C (21F).
  
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• Iceland v Iceland: Retailer seeks thaw over name dispute

  29-11-2016 16:34
  
  Supermarket Iceland is sending a "high-level delegation" to Reykjavik as it seeks to thaw relations with the Nordic nation amid a dispute over name rights. The Icelandic government has mounted a legal challenge against the retailer at the European Union Intellectual Property Office with the goal of ''ensuring the right of Icelandic companies to use the word 'Iceland' in relation to their goods and services''. Iceland Foods is sending its team this week, hoping to meet with officials at the count
  
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• New British bank notes fall foul of vegetarians

  29-11-2016 16:30
  Britain's new plastic five-pound notes, bearing the portrait of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill, have fallen foul of thousands of people who object to the use of animal fats in their manufacture. An online petition against the notes, started by campaigner Doug Maw, was signed by more than 13,000 supporters in less than 24 hours. "This is unacceptable to millions of vegans and vegetarians in the UK," Maw wrote in the online petition.
  
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• London backs plans to build second-tallest tower in western Europe

  29-11-2016 16:25
  By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - Plans to build a 73-storey skyscraper that would be the tallest in the City of London financial district have been approved by the local authority, which said the project was a vote of confidence in London after the Brexit vote. Long a destination of choice for foreign investors drawn to its lucrative real estate sector, London is experiencing a boom in the construction of tall buildings -- a trend that upsets some residents but has been encouraged by local
  
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• Having and eating cake not EU negotiating plan, says Cabinet minister

  29-11-2016 16:21
  
  Having cake and eating it is not the Government's EU plan, the Business Secretary has said, after a Brexit memo containing the phrase was photographed.
  
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• Factbox - Britain's plans to regulate company behaviour

  29-11-2016 16:13
  Britain announced proposals on Tuesday to encourage more responsible corporate behaviour, part of Prime Minister Theresa May's drive to support the millions of people she says voted for Brexit in protest at 'out of touch' elites. The plans will be discussed by a wide range of interested parties before a 'White Paper' is published setting out the government's proposals for future legislation. The box below summarises the options put forward by the government on: - executive pay - strengthening st
  
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• Britain unveils proposals to regulate company behaviour

  29-11-2016 16:13
  By Elizabeth Piper and William James LONDON (Reuters) - Britain began consultations on encouraging better corporate behaviour and curbing excessive executive pay on Tuesday, part of Prime Minister Theresa May's campaign to help those who voted for Brexit in protest at "out of touch" elites. Taking aim at high executive pay, company boards and the behaviour of large privately-held businesses, her government will ask for opinions on questions such as: Should a new pay ratio reporting requirement b
  
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• Vegan campaigners demand animal fat removed from new £5 notes

  29-11-2016 15:39
  
  Campaigners have started a petition to urge the Bank of England to remove animal fat from the new £5 note. There was anger among vegans and vegetarians after the bank confirmed the fivers contain tallow, a suet derivative. Doug Maw, who started the petition, said he was "disgusted" and would not be using the notes.
  
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• Gustav Mahler's Second Symphony manuscript sells for record £4.5m

  29-11-2016 15:17
  The complete manuscript of Gustav Mahler's Second Symphony has been sold by Sotheby's for a record £4.5m on Tuesday. The handwritten 232-page score - known as the Resurrection Symphony - includes the composer's deletions, alterations and annotations. It was owned by US businessman Gilbert Kaplan, who became obsessed with the work after seeing it performed at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1965.
  
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• Ofcom orders BT 'separation' from Openreach network

  29-11-2016 14:58
  
  Telecoms regulator Ofcom is to order a legal separation between BT and its Openreach network but stopped short of demanding a full break-up. Ofcom said it was proceeding with the move "after BT failed to offer voluntary proposals that address our competition concerns". It said it still backed a form of separation in which Openreach remained a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT but warned that if this failed it could reconsider a full split.
  
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• Talk Pants

  29-11-2016 14:57 via bbc.co.uk
  
  As alleged sex abuse in football raises concerns about safety, experts explain how to deal with this difficult subject.
  
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• Mortgage approval numbers recover after EU referendum lull

  29-11-2016 14:39
  Bank of England figures showed 67,518 home loans were given the go-ahead, up from 63,594 in September and the highest number since March. Martin Beck, senior economic adviser to the EY ITEM Club, said: "Housing market activity faltered in the middle of the year, which is likely to reflect uncertainty surrounding the EU referendum and distortions caused by April's increase in stamp duty on second homes and buy-to-let properties. Ruth Gregory, UK economist at Capital Economics, said the figures "p
  
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• Britain is pro-business, but firms need better governance - minister

  29-11-2016 14:35
  LONDON (Reuters) - Business minister Greg Clark said on Tuesday the British government was "unashamedly pro-business", but that he wanted to strengthen existing corporate governance structures to avoid damaging public trust in the private sector. Britain hopes to encourage better corporate behaviour, part of Prime Minister Theresa May's drive to support the millions of people she says voted for Brexit in protest at 'out of touch' elites. "This government is unequivocally and unashamedly pro-busi
  
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• Husband of former LME accountant wants fraud charges dismissed

  29-11-2016 14:15
  The husband of a former accountant at the London Metal Exchange (LME) will ask that fraud charges against him be dismissed due to lack of evidence, a court hearing heard on Tuesday. Annmarie Norris is charged with fraud worth about 1 million pounds that occurred between December 2012 and December 2015, the Crown Prosecution Service has said. The case against Mr. Norris is largely based the assumption that "he must have known" that lots of money coming in to the couple was due to fraud because th
  
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• UK holds dialogue with leaders, no Brexit pre-negotiation - May's spokesman

  29-11-2016 13:54
  Britain cannot begin negotiations with the European Union until it has triggered the formal exit procedure but it can have discussions with the leaders, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday. Asked about a report that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had rebuffed a request by May to discuss the rights of EU citizens, the spokesman said Britain had been clear it wanted to resolve the issue of British citizens living in the EU and EU citizens living in Britain quickly to ease c
  
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• Ofcom goes to Europe to force reform at BT Openreach

  29-11-2016 13:49
  Britain's telecoms regulator will go to the European Commission to try to force BT to legally separate Openreach, the division that supplies broadband to millions of homes and businesses, in a major reform aimed at spurring investment in the country's ageing network. The regulator, which despite Britain's vote to leave the European Union still needs European Commission support to force through change at Openreach, wants BT Openreach to plough more money into upgrading its copper networks to fibr
  
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• Clubs around the world unite to pay tribute to the Brazilian football team in Colombia plane crash

  29-11-2016 13:27
  
  The world of football is rallying round for support.
  
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• Share photos of anti-homeless spikes and 'defensive urban architecture'

  29-11-2016 13:15 via theguardian.com
  
  Have you spotted architectural devices aimed at blocking homeless people from resting or taking shelter in public spaces?
  A controversial device believed to be an “anti-homeless slope” outside a bank in Liverpool has been partially dismantled after public criticism.
  It was reportedly an attempt to block people from bedding down on the steps to the city’s Bank of England building, and is the latest piece of defensive architecture to stir up national debate. The Liverpool Echo sa
  
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• The 50 best films of 2016 in the UK: the full list

  29-11-2016 13:12 via theguardian.com
  
  Our countdown of the Guardian film team’s favourite movies released in the UK is complete, topped by a strange and wonderful encounter • See the US cut of this list
  • More on the best culture of 20161 Continue reading...
  
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• Are you voting in Italy's referendum?

  29-11-2016 13:12 via theguardian.com
  
  If you’re taking part in Italy’s vote to reform the political system, we’d like to hear from youItalians will vote on constitutional reforms to the country’s political system on Sunday, in a vote some see as the next big anti-establishment threat after the US presidential election and the UK’s EU vote.The reforms, proposed by prime minister Matteo Renzi, aim to streamline and reduce the powers of the Senate, including making the country’s 20 regional governmen
  
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• Man 'with axe' shot in Hull city centre

  29-11-2016 12:58
  A man has been injured after shots were fired by armed police in Hull city centre. Humberside Police said the incident happened after officers were dispatched to the Holderness Road area of the city "following reports of concerns for the safety of the public in relation to a man" near a post office. Paul Storr described seeing "police everywhere" on nearby Francis Street and Caroline Brockelbank tweeted: "Police incident just off Freetown Way in #hull.
  
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• Christmas pudding price hike partly blamed on Brexit

  29-11-2016 12:46
  
  A rise in the cost of basic ingredients will see the price of a Christmas pudding increase by 21%, according to analysts. The costs of other Christmas staples have so far remained broadly stable but experts have warned that prices could rise as the festive season approaches. Flour used in the UK, 15% of which is imported according to the Flour Advisory Bureau, has been made 19% more expensive by higher quality wheat crops.
  
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• FA's Greg Clarke says he cannot rule out sex abuse cover-up

  29-11-2016 12:45
  
  The FA chairman says he doesn't know if sex abuse in football was covered up, calling it "the biggest crisis I can remember". Speaking to Sky News, Greg Clarke promised to fully disclose any conclusions reached by an independent inquiry and act upon them. Asked if he could rule out a cover-up, Mr Clarke said: "I don't know if there was a cover-up or not, I really don't know.
  
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